A public health expert is rejecting the claim that health warnings on food labels would be a form of 'nanny state-ism'.
Following the Government's decision to introduce warning labels on alcohol products from 2026, there have been calls for a similar measure for junk food.
Ireland has one of the highest levels of obesity in Europe, according to the HSE, but some claim warning labels would be overly-paternalistic.
Dr Margaret Steele from UCC's School of Public Health disagrees:
"Doesn't that also apply if we say, 'Oh, you shouldn't give people too many warnings because it's just going to upset them or make them anxious'. That's treating people like children. 'Oh, they're too vulnerable. They won't be able to process all the information'. Actually, when they're given the appropriate information and when they're not bamboozled with all kinds of cleverly devised marketing, people are quite good at making the choices".
