Men spend less than 2 hours per week and women about 1 hour per week in vigorous activity such as sports, jogging, aerobics or swimming. On average, overweight and obese adults spend 2-3 hours more per week watching TV and less time in vigorous activity than adults of normal weight. Besides its importance to maintenance of a healthy body weight, physical activity has many health benefits such as improving cardiovascular fitness, reducing the risk of heart disease, and helping to maintain a normal blood pressure. There is extraordinary variety in the current Irish diet - the research team recorded the consumption of over 3,000 different foods and beverages. Nevertheless, the staple foods still are potatoes, bread, meats, dairy products and vegetables which are consumed by almost the entire adult population and which make important contributions to the intakes of a range of nutrients.
Tea is the most commonly consumed beverage.
The proportion of foods and beverages consumed outside the home is growing. It amounts to one quarter of the total energy intake of the population overall and to one third in 18-35 year olds. The survey found that intakes of most vitamins and minerals are adequate in the population. Women are more likely to have diets inadequate in vitamins and minerals than men. Calcium intake is inadequate in almost one quarter of women and vitamin D intakes are also low.