An estimated 90% of people in Ireland will be obese by 2030 unless drastic action is taken, experts have warned.

Currently, two in three adults and one in four children in Ireland are overweight or obese and children are particularly vulnerable to the advertising and marketing campaigns used by various food and drink companies.

The concerns were expressed in the first policy paper by the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland's Policy Group on Obesity, entitled The Race We Don't Want to Win. It warns that unless children are protected from certain kinds of advertising now, the problem will only get worse.

"Action to address the obesity epidemic must approach this issue from the earliest stages. We must give our children the best chance for a healthy diet and lifestyle. This means, among other things, that children should be protected from advertising and marketing of foods and drinks known to increase overweight and obesity," commented co-chair of the policy group and consultant endocrinologist, Prof Donal O'Shea.

He specifically pointed to Coca Cola's current ‘share a coke' campaign, which involves the names of people being printed on bottle labels.

"Coca Cola has an expressed commitment not to market its products to under 12s, yet almost all of the 100 most popular names of 7-8 year olds are included in their campaign. This is the food and drinks industry at its best - a hugely successful campaign - and one that fails to meet Coca Cola's own standards for responsible marketing," Prof O'Shea noted.

He pointed out that obesity already costs the State billions of euro every year and the consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks ‘is a major driver of childhood weight'. He called for a ban on the marketing of these, and similar products, to children.

However co-chair of the policy group and public health specialist, Prof Catherine Hayes, also emphasised that there are ‘multiple drivers' of the obesity epidemic and so action is required ‘on various fronts'.

"In addition to adopting a stricter stance in relation to marketing of food to children, there is a need to prioritise healthy eating and physical activity, particularly in education settings," she said.

She also noted that it is important that healthcare professionals provide ‘consistent, clear and helpful advice on diet and exercise from before conception, through pregnancy and the infancy period'.

The Policy Group on Obesity, which includes doctors and other health experts, has made a number of recommendations on this issue including:

-A ban on TV advertising of foods high in fat, salt and sugar up to 9pm and a ban on the marketing of these foods to children
-The introduction of a 20% tax on sugar-sweetened drinks in Budget 2015
-Using sporting organisations and sportspeople to promote physical activity and the consumption of healthy food and drinks
-Health professionals should weigh their patients every time they see them as standard practice.