Over 3,000 secondary students and teachers from all over the country attended last year’s HealthFest event in the RDS in Dublin.
Organised by the National Dairy Council and safefood, the free event has become one of the most highly anticipated events for transition year students. This year’s event is being held on Thursday 26th April at the National Sports Campus in Dublin. The full day seminar is designed to educate young people about the importance of healthy eating and physical activity in a practical, engaging and fun environment.
A recent study indicates that there is a “startling drop-off” in fitness among secondary school students after the Junior Cert. The results of the study of more than 30,000 students throughout Ireland and a survey of physical education (PE) teachers shows a firm trend towards neglecting fitness in exam years and in particular after the Junior Cert.
Healthfest Speaker and fitness expert Karl Henry said “Regular activity can have a very positive impact on how you feel about yourself”
This year’s Healthfest promises to be an amazing day, there will interactive sessions with the experts including leading fitness expert Karl Henry, Orla Walsh, a leading Irish independent dietitian, Chef Adrian Martin who will demonstrate some of his favourite dishes and special guest speaker, Eoghan McDermott of 2FM who will speak about the importance of looking after their mental health and wellbeing.
Diet and nutrition will be a big focus on the day, giving young people the tools and skills to understand the importance of eating well with a healthy balanced diet.
Healthfest will also cover the increasingly important area of mental health and young people, RTE’s Eoghan McDermott really resonated on this subject with last year’s audience, he said
“The conversation around mental health has opened up so much the past few years, it really feels like the tide is turning in terms of people feeling comfortable in expressing openly times of distress. I look forward to acknowledging this shift and exploring what happens next.”
Minister for Education, Richard Bruton added “I welcome events such as Healthfest, as they support schools in these endeavors and I encourage the thousands of students attending the event to actively engage with the very interesting and informative sessions planned.”
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