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IPH presents results of a study of the lifetime cost of childhood obesity on the island of Ireland to ECO2018

The ECO2018 Congress on Obesity was held from 23rd to 26th of May 2018 in Vienna, Austria. Professor Kevin P. Balanda from the IPH delivered an invited talk to the Congress on the 'Lifetime financial costs of childhood obesity/overweight in Ireland and Northern Ireland. The JANPA/safefood project estimated that the obesity/overweight in the island's 2015 childhood population was associated with lifetime excess financial costs of €7.1 (in 2015 values). Direct health care costs accounted for approximately 25% of this total costs. The biggest cost category was lost productivity due to premature death that accounted for approximately 60% of total excess lifetime costs on the island. 

Contact Prof Balanda at kevin.balanda@publichealth.ie 

ASOI Conference 2018

The Association for the Study of Obesity on the Island of Ireland (ASOI) will hold its 2018 Annual Conference on May 14th 2018 in association with the Division of Population Health Sciences at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. The conference will take in the main campus of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, 123 St Stephens Green, Dublin 2.

This year the focus is on the Environmental determinants of food consumption and obesity. Send your abstract to be in with a chance to win the ASOI Award for best submitted abstract (see abstract submission details below).

Online registration for the conference is available here: asoi.web.ie/events/

'Murtall' the new term for obesity in the Irish Language

The Association for the Study of Obesity on the island of Ireland (ASOI) has successfully changed the word for obesity in the Irish language. ‘Otracht’ was previously the Irish term for obesity. The English translation of ‘otracht’ is critical, negative and derogatory.

“Language is important. The words we choose matter” says Dr Jean O’Connell, Chair of ASOI. “People living with certain stigmatised diseases say that coping with the stigma of the disease is harder than coping with the disease itself. We need to change the way that we talk about overweight and obesity, in every language”.

Niamh Arthurs (Public Health and Clinical Nutritionist, ASOI Education role) addressed this concern with Foras Na Gaeilge. They advised Ms Arthurs to bring the case to the translation section of the Oireachtas in Leinster House. Following discussion, they informed the ASOI that the word ‘murtall’ will be used instead of ‘otracht’ in legislation in Ireland and they will also advise European institutions to use the term ‘murtall’ in future. Foras Na Gaeilge also stated that they would recommend general use of the term ‘murtall’.

New research from safefood reveals men and young adults the least able when it comes to food and cooking skills

The research has measured the state of the nation’s food and cooking skills and has found men and young adults had lower levels of confidence and used less food and cooking skills like planning, cooking in batches or using up leftovers.  Among those surveyed for the research, keeping basic food cupboard ingredients and sharing cooking responsibilities were viewed as positive ways to encourage more home cooking, however time pressures and "fussy eaters" were identified as barriers to cooking.  Amanda McCloat, Head of The Home Economics Department at St. Angela's College, Sligo and Research Contributor commented “What was really evident from the research is how people gained confidence from simply trying out a recipe and how we should be encouraging non-cooks to give it a go.”