Heart group urges ‘no-fry zones’ near schools for kids’ health

From this week’s Galway City Tribune – Galway City Council must explicitly ban fast food operators from with one kilometre of schools in the new City Development Plan in order to tackle an obesity pandemic among children.

This so-called ‘no-fry zone’ has been recommended to the local authority by the Irish Heart Foundation, with a stark warning that without urgent action, the city’s children face ‘dire future health consequences’.

Students represent big money for fast food outlets and takeaways, so without ‘proper regulation this situation can only deteriorate,’ states the Irish Heart Foundation’s submission to city planners.

“The Irish Heart Foundation fully supports the introduction of no-fry zones and we believe that a greater sense of urgency must be attached to this . . . Fast food is readily available beside Irish schools. Currently, 75% of Irish schools have at least one, and almost 30% have at least five fast food outlets within 1km.

“Studies also indicate that in order to buy something from a takeaway after school or at lunchtime, the takeaway needed to be located close by on the way to school or a short work. The Irish Heart Foundation believes that an effective no-fry zone would be set at 1km around a school (approximately equates to a 10-minute walk).”

Over the last 40 years, obesity in children has increased tenfold in Ireland, warns the submission, and without intervention, children face life-threatening conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and fatty liver disease.

“While the draft issues paper of the draft Development Plan does not expressly mention fast food outlets and takeaways among other retail uses, it is important that the draft plan itself is explicit in this.

“A proliferation of hot food takeaways and other outlets selling fast food can harm the vitality and viability of communities and undermine attempts to promote the consumption of healthy food, particularly in areas close to schools,” the submission reads.
This is a shortened preview version of this article. To read the rest of the story, see this week’s Galway City Tribune. You can buy a digital edition HERE.