Cancer Council Australia and public health organisations are calling on the Australian Government to regulate food marketing to children.
The call follows a Preventive Health Roundtable convened by Dr Sophie Scamps MP, as new figures released by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare show the rates of overweight and obesity among Australian children continue to rise.
After the meeting, the organisations released a joint statement calling for legislation to reduce children’s exposure to food marketing. The proposed measures cover online platforms, social media, gaming, sports sponsorships, retail settings and other environments.
It follows the South Australian Government officially banning the advertising of most fortified soy milk and rice cakes on public transport in July last year. The products were labelled by the Government as ‘junk food’, and as a result were then banned from being advertised on government assets.
At the time, The Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA) and the Outdoor Media Association (OMA) claimed the ad ban would be ineffective and wouldn’t address the complex and deeply embedded root causes of obesity.
“Considering the anticipated impact on both the community and the industry, it is crucial that the South Australian government provide evidence demonstrating where such measures have successfully reduced obesity worldwide,” said AANA CEO, Josh Faulks told B&T at the time.
Cancer Council Australia CEO Jacinta Reddan said the government should act to reduce children’s exposure to food and drink marketing, and that the marketing makes it more difficult for parents to encourage healthy habits.
“The reality is children today are more likely to be living with obesity than previous generations,” Reddan said. “You only need to watch some adverts about the FIFA World Cup to see how junk food companies are targeting children through popular sporting events.”
According to data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, one in four Australian children and adolescents aged 2–17 lives with overweight or obesity.
The condition is linked to an increased risk of 13 types of cancer. These include postmenopausal breast, colorectal, liver, kidney, endometrial, ovarian, stomach, thyroid, oesophageal, gallbladder, pancreatic, multiple myeloma and advanced prostate cancer.
Recent examples of FIFA World Cup fast food ads, include those for McDonald’s and Pepsi.
Reddan said children should grow up in an environment that supports healthy choices and that advertising should not promote products that put their long-term health at risk.
Data from 2023 also found the consumption of intense-sweetened beverages increased to 11 per cent from 8.5 per cent in 1995.
It also found 96 per cent of Australian adults did not meet the recommended intake of fruit and vegetables. Average free sugar consumption is 67 grams per day, 1.3 times the recommended level.
The Cancer Council estimates that overweight leads to more than 5,200 cancer cases each year. It is also one of the main risk factors for illness and death in Australia.
Dr Sophie Scamps, the independent MP for Mackellar, also released an open letter signed by public health organisations calling for government action on unhealthy food marketing.
“These latest figures are a cause for alarm with the health of the next generation continuing to deteriorate. In failing to regulate junk food marketing targeting children, the Federal Government is failing our children,” Dr Scamps said.
“The Government needs to stop sitting on their hands and act decisively to safeguard the health of our children. How many more warnings do they need before they finally act?”
She added the data confirms that “voluntary industry codes are not working and that comprehensive restrictions across all media and settings are both achievable and effective”.
