Doctors demand broader approach to tackling obesity
25 January 2013
Doctors leaders have called for a joined-up approach to tackling obesity in Northern Ireland.
BMA Northern Ireland council chair Paul Darragh said it was essential for the government to work with food manufacturers and advertisers to help people improve their diets.
He said doctors had an important role to play by offering advice on dietary choices and exercise but also stressed that the public must be encouraged to take responsibility for their own health.
He added: ‘Radical changes in the way we work, move around and eat have resulted in an alarming increase in the number of obese and overweight individuals in the UK.
‘We must act quickly to combat the rise of obesity and prevent its life-threatening consequences.
‘Obesity is already putting strain on our financially stretched health service and threatens to increase rapidly as it reaches epidemic proportions.’
Dr Darragh said: ‘People need to be given more opportunities to take regular exercise — we should aim for a society where everyone is enabled to make healthy choices.’