START campaign aims to tackle obesity levels in children as one in four now overweight
Parents are being encouraged to make their children play outdoors.
Research shows eight in ten children don’t get enough exercise, while one in four children in Ireland are overweight or obese and one in five doesn't get enough vegetables or fruit.
A new campaign called START is urging parents to introduce a small healthy change in their children’s diets every day.
Professor Donal O’Shea is the Clinical Lead for Obesity at the HSE.
"The language in this campaign is a little tougher - saying get tough with your kids.
"At the end of the day if you put a child under the age of 12 in the garden, after a minute or two complaining they will be running around."
