Share

The "Our Voice, Our Rights" Blog

Posts in the "children" category

An abdication of duty: How state policy sacrifices public health for corporate wealth.

Posted on March 19, 2015

Irish Heart Foundation Logo
[smPullExtract inputText=%3Cp%3EAchieving%20the%20%E2%80%98highest%20attainable%20standard%E2%80%99%20of%20health%2C%20as%20laid%20down%20in%20article%2012%20of%20the%20International%20Covenant%20on%20Economic%2C%20Social%20and%20Cultural%20Rights%2C%20requires%20the%20Irish%20state%20to%20make%20political%20decisions%20and%20introduce%20health%20policies%20which%20provides%20the%20conditions%20for%20healthy%20lives.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EThe%20chronic%20diseases%20which%20kill%20most%20people%20in%20Ireland%20%E2%80%93%20cardiovascular%20disease%2C%20cancer%2C%20respiratory%20and%20diabetes%20%E2%80%93%20share%20four%20risk%20factors%2C%20tobacco%2C%20alcohol%2C%20poor%20diet%20and%20lack%20of%20physical%20activity.%20%C2%A0So%20the%20conditions%20for%20healthy%20lives%20require%20Government%20to%20tackle%20these%20risk%20factors%20head%20on.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EFurther%2C%20there%20is%20a%20pressing%20need%20to%20address%20these%20risk%20factors%20given%20the%20very%20unequal%20burden%20of%20disease%20in%20Irish%20society.%20Health%20inequity%2C%20or%20more%20starkly%20put%20%E2%80%93%20poverty%20%E2%80%93%20means%20that%20Irish%20people%20on%20lower%20incomes%20are%20sicker%20and%20die%20earlier%20than%20those%20with%20higher%20incomes.%20If%20you%20live%20in%20a%20deprived%20area%20of%20Ireland%20you%20are%202.5%20times%20more%20likely%20to%20have%20coronary%20heart%20disease%20than%20a%20citizen%20living%20in%20an%20affluent%20area%20%28see%20Balanda%2C%20K.%20%3Ci%3Eet%20al.%3C/i%3E%20%282010%29%C2%A0%20%3Ci%3EMaking%20Chronic%20Conditions%20Count%3A%20Hypertension%2C%20Stroke%2C%20Coronary%20Heart%20Disease%20and%20Diabetes%3C/i%3E%20from%20the%20Institute%20of%20Public%20Health%20in%20Ireland%29.%20No%20surprises%20then%20that%20%3Ca%20href%3D%22http%3A//www.cso.ie/en/media/csoie/census/documents/Mortality_Differentials_in_Ireland.pdf%22%3Epeople%20living%20in%20the%20most%20deprived%20areas%20of%20Ireland%20have%20the%20lowest%20life%20expectancy%3C/a%3E.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EIn%20short%2C%20political%20decisions%20about%20whether%20to%20reduce%20healthy%20inequity%20or%20tackle%20obesity%20rates%2C%20or%20reduce%20alcohol%20consumption%2C%20have%20life%20or%20death%20consequences.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EThe%20failure%20to%20adequately%20address%20these%20factors%20is%20demonstrated%20by%20the%20fact%20that%20more%20Irish%20children%20are%20overweight%20than%20in%20most%20European%20countries%20%28see%20Layte%20and%20McCrory%E2%80%99s%202011%20paper%20on%20%E2%80%98%3Ci%3EGrowing%20up%20in%20Ireland%20-%20Overweight%20and%20obesity%20among%209-year%20olds%E2%80%99%29%3C/i%3E%3B%20%3Ca%20href%3D%22http%3A//www.hrb.ie/health-information-in-house-research/alcohol-drugs/adru-news/adru-news/%3Ftx_ttnews%255Btt_news%255D%3D536%26amp%3Btx_ttnews%255BbackPid%255D%3D577%26amp%3BcHash%3D16e63a12362872fdac8945fd18d93a21%22%3E75%25%20of%20alcohol%20consumed%20in%20Ireland%20is%20done%20so%20as%20part%20of%20a%20binge%20session%3C/a%3E%3B%20and%20only%2012%25%20of%20secondary%20students%20are%20physically%20active%20for%20an%20hour%20a%20day%20%28see%20Research%20Report%20No%201%20by%20Woods%2C%20Tannehill%2C%20Quinlan%2C%20Moyna%20%26amp%3B%20Walsh%20on%20%E2%80%98%3Ci%3EChildren%E2%80%99s%20Sport%20Participation%20and%20Physical%20Activity%20Study%20%28CSPPA%29.%3C/i%3E%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EYet%20we%20continue%20to%20see%20the%20reluctance%20of%20Government%20to%20introduce%20policies%2C%20such%20as%20banning%20alcohol%20sponsorship%20of%20sports%2C%20or%20introducing%20large-scale%20bans%20on%20junk%20food%20advertising%20to%20children%2C%20which%20could%20reduce%20people%E2%80%99s%20exposure%20to%20and%20attraction%20to%20unhealthy%20products.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EWhy%20then%2C%20given%20the%20scale%20of%20disease%20and%20the%20unequal%20impact%20on%20Irish%20citizens%2C%20has%20the%20Government%20been%20slow%20to%20tackle%20public%20health%20threats%3F%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EOne%20explanation%20which%20continues%20to%20gain%20ground%20is%20that%20several%20of%20the%20risk%20factors%2C%20particularly%20alcohol%2C%20junk%20food%20and%20tobacco%2C%20are%20represented%20by%20strong%20lobbies.%20And%20these%20industries%20have%20a%20vested%20interest%20in%20policy%20decisions%20which%20are%20not%20compatible%20with%20people%20achieving%20the%20highest%20attainable%20standard%20of%20health.%20This%20has%20led%20people%20to%20refer%20to%20%E2%80%98industrial%20epidemics%E2%80%99%2C%20that%20is%20ill-health%20caused%20by%20corporate%20strategies%20which%20stimulate%20the%20over-consumption%20of%20unhealthy%20products%20%28see%20the%202007%20paper%20by%20Jahiel%20%26amp%3B%20Babor%20on%20%E2%80%98Industrial%20epidemics%2C%20public%20health%20advocacy%20and%20the%20alcohol%20industry%3A%20lessons%20from%20other%20fields%E2%80%99%20in%20%3Ci%3EAddiction%3C/i%3E%20Journal%29.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ETake%20the%20example%20of%20childhood%20obesity%2C%20which%20the%20%3Ca%20href%3D%22http%3A//www.dcya.gov.ie/documents/publications/SeventhSpecialRapReport2014.pdf%22%3EGovernment%E2%80%99s%20Rapporteur%20on%20Child%20Protection%2C%20Dr%20Geoffrey%20Shannon%3C/a%3E%20has%20called%20%E2%80%98a%20vital%20child%20protection%20issue%20and%20a%20challenge%20to%20implementation%20of%20the%20right%20of%20children%20to%20the%20highest%20attainable%20standard%20of%20health%20in%20Ireland%E2%80%99.%20The%20public%20health%20community%20recognises%20that%20rising%20obesity%20is%20a%20normal%20response%20by%20people%20to%20an%20unnatural%20environment%20caused%20by%20widespread%20availability%20of%20high-calorie%20foods%20and%20reductions%20in%20physical%20activity.%20To%20put%20it%20plainly%2C%20previous%20generations%20wouldn%E2%80%99t%20recognise%20much%20of%20the%20food%20consumed%20in%20Ireland%20today.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EYet%20up%20to%20now%2C%20the%20policies%20developed%20to%20address%20obesity%20in%20Ireland%20have%20focused%20on%20what%20individuals%20can%20do%20to%20reduce%20their%20own%20risk%20of%20obesity%2C%20through%20media%20campaigns%20and%20short-term%20programmes%20in%20schools.%20Much%20less%20attention%20has%20been%20paid%20to%20address%20the%20drivers%20of%20obesity%2C%20including%20the%20intense%20marketing%20of%20food%20to%20children%20by%20large%20food%20companies.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EIn%20the%20obesity%20area%20we%20can%20clearly%20see%20that%20market%20forces%20can%20have%20a%20significant%20impact%20the%20conditions%20which%20affect%20people%E2%80%99s%20health.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3E%3Cb%3EWhat%20should%20the%20Irish%20Government%20do%3F%20%3C/b%3E%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EThe%20Irish%20Heart%20Foundation%20believes%20there%20is%20strong%20justification%20for%20Government%20to%20introduce%20legislation%20and%20regulations%20which%20would%20help%20reduce%20the%20demand%20for%2C%20and%20availability%20of%2C%20unhealthy%20products.%20At%20the%20moment%2C%20the%20State%20is%20failing%20in%20its%20duty%20of%20care%20to%20protect%20public%20health%2C%20and%20particularly%20the%20health%20of%20children%2C%20to%20the%20advantage%20of%20vested%20interests%2C%20whose%20remit%20is%20to%20maximise%20the%20wealth%20of%20a%20small%20number%20of%20shareholders.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EIt%20is%20long%20past%20time%20for%20Government%20to%20place%20the%20right%20to%20health%20of%20citizens%20above%20the%20right%20to%20profit%20of%20businesses.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3E%C2%A0%3C/p%3E%3Cul%3E%3Cli%3E%3Cem%3E%3Cb%3ECliona%20Loughnane%3C/b%3E%20is%20Policy%20%26amp%3B%20Research%20Manager%20at%20the%20%3Ca%20title%3D%22link%20to%20IHF%22%20href%3D%22http%3A//www.irishheart.ie/%22%20target%3D%22_blank%22%3EIrish%20Heart%20Foundation%3C/a%3E.%20Her%20work%20focuses%20on%20health%20policy%20and%20its%20impact%20on%20cardiovascular%20disease%2C%20as%20well%20as%20a%20range%20of%20public%20health%20issues%20including%20obesity%20and%20tobacco%20control.%C2%A0%20Twitter%3A%20%40Cliona_l%3C/em%3E%3C/li%3E%3C/ul%3E%3Cp%3E%C2%A0%3C/p%3E]

Posted in: healthchildrenfood