Ministers launch 'Healthy Weight' campaign

A new "Healthy Weight" campaign has been launched by Government in a bid to reduce the number of weight related diseases.

Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly and Minister for Public Health, Well Being and National Drugs Strategy Frank Feighan launched the campaign, which is developed under the Healthy Ireland Framework.

Research has shown that weight-gain is influenced by multiple factors such as environment, access to healthy and affordable food, physical activity, genetic make-up, and lifestyle.

This campaign aims to support people to prevent weight gain in their 20s and 30s by focussing on four pillars – sleep, stress, physical activity and nutrition.

Minister Donnelly said: “All of us in Government have a role in addressing overweight and obesity, the underlying causes of which are impacted by national policy and action across a wide range of areas. Many of the influencing factors lie outside our own individual control, such as accessibility and affordability of healthy food, socio-economic stressors and the built environment."

The campaign forms part of a series of initiatives by Healthy Ireland to address overweight and obesity in the adult population. This campaign aims to raise awareness of the heightened risk of becoming overweight and developing obesity as people move through young adulthood.

Minister Feighan said: “The aim of this campaign is to share information about behaviours that can affect weight while also supporting people to be and feel healthier.

“Preventing weight gain is about so much more than simply eating less and exercising more. Weight gain can happen for many reasons and supportive environments can empower individuals to make healthier choices the most accessible choices. This campaign will empower individuals to pursue habits that can help to prevent weight gain.”

The Healthy Weight campaign will share practical, expert information about behaviours that can affect weight, in order to support adults to be and feel healthier. These behaviours include good nutrition and eating well, managing stress, sleeping well and engaging in regular physical activity.

The campaign is aimed at 25 to 34-year-olds, and will be hosted on social media including Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

It was developed by Healthy Ireland in partnership with safefood and the HSE’s Health Promotion team.

For more information visit www.gov.ie/HealthyWeight