Dieticians from all over Ireland are meeting in Monaghan to discuss the growing incidence of obesity.
Organised by the Food Safety Promotion Board, Safefood, the community dieticians are also trying to devise strategies to prevent and treat the disease.
Obesity has almost doubled in the past decade. It now affects 16% of women and 20% of men in Ireland, according to a North South Consumption Survey. A further 33% of women and 46% of men are overweight.
One of the speakers, Dr Mary Flynn from Canada, said Irish children are not unique in becoming significantly overweight - the same has happened in Canada, America, Britain and Australia.
Dr Thomas Quigley of Safefood said if the current rising trends continue, associated diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer threaten to overwhelm the health system.
