I propose to take Questions Nos. 781 and 782 together.
A Healthy Weight for Ireland, the Obesity Policy and Action Plan (OPAP), was launched in September 2016 under the auspices of the Healthy Ireland Framework (Healthy Ireland: A Framework for Improved Health and Wellbeing 2013-2025). OPAP covers a 10-year period up to 2025 and aims to reverse obesity trends, prevent associated health risks, and reduce the overall burden for individuals, families, the health system, and the wider society and economy. It recognises that obesity is a complex, multi-faceted challenge and needs a multi-pronged response, with every sector of society playing its part.
Since the implementation of OPAP, levels of obesity and overweight have stabilised.
According to the Healthy Ireland Survey 2024, the rate of obesity (for all ages from 15 years old) is at 21% and the rate of overweight at 35%. This data is collected every second year of the Healthy Ireland survey and overweight and obesity rates have been consistent at just under 60% for a number of years. Levels of obesity continue to rise globally, so the impact of the Obesity Policy and Action Plan has contributed to Ireland achieving stabilisation in rates.
Data for children is collected separately through the WHO Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative (COSI). The WHO COSI have completed its 6th round of data collection in 2022 and the results demonstrated that rates of obesity have stabilised overall in the last twenty years.
It is welcome that obesity rates are not rising. However, given the projected increase to the overall population and in particular the aging profile of our population, with greater numbers of older adults living with the health impacts of overweight and obesity in the coming decades, it is key that we seek to reduce the prevalence of overweight and obesity to reduce associated risks and costs.
There are a number of reports for Ireland which calculate the overall cost of obesity. A 2012 study by University College Cork for Safefood entitled " The Cost of Overweight and Obesity on the Island of Ireland” estimated that adult overweight and obesity cost the healthcare services in Ireland just under €400 million every year. Overweight and obesity combined accounted for an estimated 2.7% of total health expenditure in the Ireland (2.8% in Northern Ireland). Total annual costs were estimated at €1.13 billion – the majority attributed to loss of productivity and absenteeism.
A further study in 2017 for Safefood, entitled “Lifetime Costs of Childhood Overweight and Obesity” put the total lifetime cost of childhood overweight and obesity in Ireland at almost €5 billion - €1 billion in direct healthcare costs and €4 billion in indirect costs including productivity losses, increased morbidity and premature mortality.
There are also international studies into the cost of obesity. In 2019, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) published a report entitled "The Heavy Burden of Obesity”, which examined the effect of obesity from a number of different perspectives, including economic, social and healthcare costs across OECD, European Union and Group 20 countries. The report found that treating diseases caused by overweight and obesity will cost USD 425 billion a year, and that “treating high BMI and associated conditions will cost more than USD 200 per person per year, on average, across the OECD” (OECD (2019), The Heavy Burden of Obesity: The Economics of Prevention, OECD Health Policy Studies, OECD Publishing, Paris, doi.org/10.1787/67450d67-en.). The OECD is currently examining the economic and policy implications of breakthrough obesity treatments and expects to publish a report in due course.
The Department of Health commissioned an independent Evaluation of the Sugar Sweetened Drinks Tax (SSDT) which was and completed by Munster Research Consultancy. Following this my predecessor, Minister Donnelly in his capacity as Minister for Health at the time, published the results of this independent review on the Department’s website. This document contains figures relating to obesity prevalence and costs, amongst other measures and indicators.
Further information on the Evaluation of the Sugar Sweetened Drinks Tax can be found on the Gov.ie website.
The Obesity Policy Action Plan (OPAP) is currently under development. My Department aims to publish this document by Q4 2026. The OPAP will be informed by the outputs of the extensive stakeholder and public consultations which were undertaken in 2025. The Department aims to include details of the consultation process and its outputs in the next OPAP.
