Obesity in the Republic of Ireland is a major health concern. Ireland has one of Europe's highest rates of obesity; 60% of adults, and over 20% of children and young people, in the country are overweight or obese. In 2011, 23.4% of the country's population was obese. The country's mean BMI increased by 1.1kg (2.4lbs)/m² between 1990 and 2001 and /m² between 2001 and 2011.
In 2015, the government released figures showing that the cost of obesity to the country was €1bn per year. Irish Government website, Ministers Launch “A Healthy Weight for Ireland: Obesity Policy and Action Plan 2016-2025” , article published August 2, 2016 By 2017, it was estimated that the lifetime costs of obesity were €4.6bn for the country (and €2.6bn for Northern Ireland), including healthcare costs and loss of working hours. Association for the Study of Obesity on the island of Ireland website, Epidemiology of Adult Obesity in Ireland by A. Courtney et al, 2020
A PubMed study found obesity among children specifically in Ireland fell from 25% in 2005 to 16% by 2019; however, the study cautions that obesity remains a serious problem in Ireland.
A European study in 2021 found that Ireland had the second highest level of obesity in Europe (behind Malta), with the highest rates being found in people aged over 65. Irish Times website, Ireland has second highest obesity rate in EU, survey finds, article by Sean McCárthaigh dated July 22, 2021 The report also found that people living in counties along the border were most likely to be overweight or obese, while people living in western and south western counties had the lowest rate.
In 2022, the WHO stated that obesity has become an epidemic in Ireland, especially after Covid, with 57% of adults and 8% of children under five being overweight or obese. Irish Times website, Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in Ireland, WHO says, article by Paul Cullen dated May 03 2022 World Obesity website, Ireland: Obesity prevalence Adults, 2021-2022
See also
Health in the Republic of Ireland Epidemiology of obesity Obesity in the United Kingdom
References
External links SafeFood website, What are the estimated costs of childhood overweight and obesity on the island of Ireland?, 2017 Queen's University Belfast website, Overweight and obesity on the island of Ireland: an estimation of costs, 2015