Rosanna Davison is urging the Government to tackle the obesity crisis as the battle of the bulge overtakes smoking as the No1 cause of cancer.
A third of kids in Ireland and the UK are overweight and this week a study revealed the epidemic is fuelling 4000 more cases of bowel, kidney, ovarian and liver cancer.
Rosanna, 35, told the Irish Mirror: “I think education from a young age is key.
“I really think it would benefit children in school to learn about the biochemistry of food and about nutrition. Not just to tell them to avoid this or that”
“For me it was really helpful to learn what sugar does to your body and your cells when you consume it.
“How it raises your blood glucose levels and how it creates an insulin response. By using graphs and charts and pictures is easier for children to understand.
“That’s one strategy the Government could look at for primary schools.”
The sugar tax came into force last year and despite generating €31.72million, nothing has been directly spent on tackling obesity.
Rosanna cited soft drinks and booze as significant culprits in our expanding waistlines.
She explained: “Fizzy drinks and alcohol are contributing to obesity, they’re very high in calories and create an environment in your body that raises your blood sugar levels.
“Reducing the availability in schools of fizzy drinks and sweets is key. “Research is showing the high sugar foods, the junk foods, the highly processed foods are so addictive and so hard to wean off especially if they’re put in front of children.
“It’s about making fresh fruits, nuts and things like that available much more easily.”
