Cancer Council Victoria has urged the Victorian government to ban junk food advertising from Melbourne’s Metro Tunnel stations after a survey of 400 parents revealed that two-thirds support restrictions on unhealthy food and drink advertising on public transport.
With the new rail project set to open next year, the peak cancer body has called on the government to refuse marketing for unhealthy products. The council’s head of obesity programs, Jane Martin, said removing junk food advertising would protect children’s health and lower their cancer risk.
“It influences what children eat, what they want to eat and what they ask to eat,” she said. “If these eating patterns and unhealthy weight is carried through into adulthood … these Victorians will be more at risk of developing cancer later in life, in adulthood”.
Martin denied the restriction would be an overreach, saying it was no different to other bans on advertising alcohol or cigarettes to children. “It’s important that we’re creating an environment where health is prioritised over the profits of these companies,” she said. “It’s very difficult for parents to protect their children from this marketing because it reaches children no matter what they do”.
“Cities including Canberra, London, and Amsterdam have all taken steps to create transport systems free from junk food advertising”.
Cancer Council chief executive Todd Harper said obesity was “one of the biggest influences on cancer”, but it was often underestimated, with people far more aware of the risks of smoking and sunbathing. “Being above a healthy weight increases the risk of about 13 different cancers,” he said. “It’s responsible for about 5300 cases of cancer in Australian adults every year”.
“It’s an uphill battle when processed food companies bombard our kids with at least 25 unhealthy ads daily”.
Despite the calls from the Cancer Council, the government is still resisting the demand, claiming that it currently has no plans to introduce the ban at the new stations. “We’re rolling out our five-year action plan to help Victorian children and young people thrive as they grow through the promotion of healthy eating and active lifestyles,” said a spokesperson for the Victorian government.
