A report by the Joint Oireachtas Children and Youth Affairs Committee on tackling obesity has recommended that Home Economics be introduced as a compulsory Junior Cycle subject.
The chair of the Committee, Fine Gael TD Alan Farrell said that as many as one in four children are overweight or obese, and that the prevalence of obesity among children and young adults is one of the most urgent health concerns facing policy makers.
Amanda McCloat, Head of Home Economics at St Angela's College in Sligo, said the move would be a very effective health promotion strategy.
"If young people develop the skills and the strategy that they need from a food education perspective, then they have those skills for life and also a dependency culture won't exist as they won't be reliant on take-away foods," Ms McCloat said.
WATCH: Make Home Economics compulsory for Junior Cycle to tackle child obesity, among 20 recommendations from report of Oireachtas Children and Youth Affairs Committee, chaired by @AlanFarrell. An effective health promotion strategy says @amccloat, of St Angela's College Sligo. pic.twitter.com/3oYgushQEO
— RTÉ Politics (@rtepolitics) November 15, 2018
The committee's report calls on the Government to ensure that a "whole system" approach is taken in relation to the implementation of all policies which relate to tackling childhood obesity.
The committee also calls for a clearer definition of what constitutes a "fast-food outlet", and said local planning powers should be enhanced to prevent them opening within a defined vicinity of schools.
The report also recommends banning vending machines in schools, in line with a recommendation from the Oireachtas Education Committee earlier this year which said no unhealthy food or drinks should be sold in schools.
According to the report, an audit should take place of the availability of physical activity facilities in schools, in particular older schools, so that facilities can be provided under the National Development Plan.
There was also a call to extend regulations in respect of the advertising and marketing of unhealthy foods to children to apply to all programmes where there may be a significant number of children watching.
