Irish health minister wants to adopt NY-style health laws

CATHY HAYES,

IrishCentral.com Staff Writer

Published Monday, September 26, 2011, 7:01 AM

Updated Monday, September 26, 2011, 10:01 AM

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James Reilly, Ireland's Minister for Health

Minister for Health James Reilly is looking for Ireland to adopt some of New York's public health laws in an aim to curb the high levels of obesity and diseases in the country.

Official have contacted Mayor Bloomberg's office for advice, and the minister has been writing to fast food operators in Ireland to ask them to label their menus with the calorie content, reports the Irish Independent.

A sugar tax on certain foods, such as soft drinks is also being taken into consideration.

In the last few years, New York has introduced several new health laws to fight obesity and disease.

In 2008, a law was passed requiring restaurant chains to post calorie information on their menus, and in 2009, the mayor enacted the first restriction on artificial trans fat in the the city's food service establishments.

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Mr. Reilly attended a United Nations meeting in New York last week on the role of the food and beverage industry in combating non-communicable diseases.

In Ireland, the Special Action Group on Obesity is examining several option to tackle obesity levels.

"The introduction of a sugar tax on sugar-sweetened drinks was identified as a strategy for consideration and the feasibility of introducing such a measure is being examined. They [the Special Action Group on Obesity] are not considering the introduction of a junk food tax at this stage," a spokesman for the minister confirmed.

"Officials from the Department of Health met with representatives from the food industry during the summer and the minister now intends writing to fast food operators in Ireland asking that they introduce this calorie posting in their Irish restaurants. This initiative was first introduced in the US, and it has recently been replicated in the UK in a deal between the British government and industry."

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CarolAST | Sep 27, 2011, 09:32 AM EDT

It's based on a pile of lies! Those charlatans deliberately use defective studies to falsely blame peoples' lifestyles for diseases that are really caused by infection. Poorer people are more likely to get those infections, so the scum use it as a pretext to wage a class war. Their fraudulent studies based on lifestyle questionnaires were invented in Nazi Germany for that very purpose. The Nazis could hide behind the excuse of ignorance, but these health fascist scumbags CANNOT! And the traitors that are selling us out are those who let them get away with scientific fraud, and then whine about nannyism like stupid little six-year-olds arguing with their mommies. And they censor the mass media just like the Nazis, too, to prevent anyone from exposing their frauds.

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nanny2sorli | Sep 26, 2011, 03:16 PM EDT

Ironically enough, I was brought up as a child of the 50's & 60's in a chip shop, the original fast food. We would drive my mum crazy by asking for chips even on Christmas Day (the one day we closed). There were 6 children and we were all thin, in fact, the health people thought I had TB I was so skinny! However, we did have access to veggies and fruit - we could have chips after we'd eaten a "proper" lunch or tea. Fortunately, I've remained healthy, so far having chips fried in lard hasn't clogged up my arteries and I never have health problems, not even colds. I suppose kids nowadays don't have access to fresh food and this makes the difference - cos if it was the fast food we should've all been fat and unhealthy.

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christilcaugh | Sep 26, 2011, 10:17 AM EDT

Sadly we cannot as democracies/republic's legislate morality or lifestyle...but maybe if the fruits and veggies were affordable you might get fewer heavy people. We've got it all turned around here - junk food is lower in price here in the States, and good, fresh veggies are terribly expensive.

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mcdolan | Sep 26, 2011, 09:31 AM EDT

Great idea -- obesity has taken hold here in Ireland as a direct result of the Celtic Tiger. Unfortunately, convenience and fast food still has a hold on us in an impoverished economy, while in reality making food from scratch with fresh veggies etc. is actually cheaper.

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