Our diet is a ‘disaster’ for our health and climate

Our current food system is “like a slow-motion disaster” aiding premature death and disability, according to the Climate and Health Alliance which says our dietary habits need to change radically as part of an ambitious plan to protect public health and the environment.

In a new report, Fixing Food Together, the alliance outlines the consequences of how our food is produced and consumed. e paper’s lead author is Irish Heart Foundation dietitian Orna O’Brien. e lobby group wants a special Cabinet sub-committee to oversee a food revolution. It views the farming industry as a key part of the solution.

It also warns that a lack of policies to shape a healthy food environment has caused ultra-processed foods and excessive red and processed meat to dominate the Irish diet at the expense of fruit, vegetables, plant protein and sustainable seafood.

“ is is like a slow-motion disaster unfolding before our eyes,” said Tim Collins, chief executive of the Irish Heart Foundation.

“ e global food system we have created can feed the world but has also made us heavier and sicker. It destroys wildlife, pollutes our rivers and air and produces a third of our greenhouse gas emissions.

“In Ireland, we now have a disturbing over-consumptionunder-nutrition paradox.” e report coincides with new Ipsos research, commissioned by the Irish Heart Foundation, showing just one in ve of us understand how large an impact reducing our intake of red and processed meat will have on greenhouse gases.

It recommends six key areas where Ireland needs to drive change. is includes ending the junk-food cycle and promoting transition away from over-consumption of processed foods to a more plantbased diet including beans, peas and lentils.

A reduction in food waste, improving agricultural practices and land use, and using a policy approach to cause behavioural change is also sought.

“Poor diet kills one in ve people globally,” said Mr Collins. “We need to realise if we eat to maintain a healthy weight and not overeat, this reduces food waste and means we are not contributing to extra greenhouse gas emissions.

“It is no longer acceptable to chase economic gain at the expense of the environment.” included 4,663 pupils across 148 schools in Ireland. Testing was originally scheduled in the northern hemisphere for spring 2021, but was disrupted by school closures. While most pupils took it towards the end of fourth class, Ireland was among the countries where the assessment was delayed to the start of fth class.

Mr Collins said.

It meant that participants in Ireland were, on average, about six months older, aged about 11, than they would have been had they done it in the spring, which is likely to have given them some advantage.

Because of this, the Educational Research Centre (ERC), in Drumcondra, which oversees Pirls testing in Ireland,

Denise to take Greenway challenge in memory of Dad

Online tness & nutrition coach and Kilkenny native Denise Murphy is calling on people to support e Alzheimer Society of Ireland’s Greenway Challenge fundraising campaign.

Sponsored by Payzone, the challenge takes place on Friday, June 30 and Saturday, July 1 to raise funds for vital dementia supports and services. e challenge is also a good reason to get active this summer!

Denise Murphy’s father, Michael Shanahan, passed away in February after living with Young-Onset

Dementia (YOD). Mr Shanahan was diagnosed with the condition in 2013. Denis Murphy has teamed up with e ASI to help other families in Ireland impacted by the condition.

She said, “I know rst-hand how vital e ASI’s services are; their support is a lifeline for families living with dementia.

“Dad received the most amazing care from sta at e ASI’s Kilkenny Day Care; he absolutely loved going there. ey o ered so many activities; his favourite was the music sessions. Dad always loved singing and dancing; urges caution in comparing performance between countries in 2021 and with regard to trends.

According to the ERC, pupils “probably performed better in autumn 2021 than they would have in spring 2021, although it is unlikely that the di erence would have been extreme.” e ERC also notes that children in Ireland spent a lot of time reading during lockdown, which, it says “might explain their strong performance in Pirls”. it really helped to retain his identity,” she said.

Of countries that tested at the end of fourth class, Singapore topped the table, with a score of 587, followed by Hong Kong at 573. Among those testing at the start of fth class, Ireland led the way at 577, followed by Northern Ireland at 566.

‘Supporting e Alzheimer’s Greenway Challenge feels like I can give something back in a way.” e Challenge: ree di erent route options are available on this challenge to suit everyone:

• Features an option for everyone from walkers to experienced cyclists.

• Takes place along the picturesque Waterford Greenway in the Sunny South East.

• e Waterford Greenway Challenge kicks o at Dungarvan, through the foothills of the Comeragh mountains and along the River Suir to nish in Waterford city.

• Walk the Greenway over two days – June 30th and July 1st

• Cycle from Dungarvan to Waterford in one day on July 1st (46km)

• Cycle from Waterford to Dungarvan and back to Waterford in one day on July 1st (92km)

* Register to take part in Alzheimer’s Greenway Challenge at https://alzheimer. ie/get-involved/fundraisingevents/greenway-challenge/