Cancer Council Australia has welcomed a plan announced today by the Australian Greens to protect children from junk food advertising as an important step towards reducing Australia’s future cancer burden.
Chief Executive Officer, Professor Ian Olver, said obesity and overweight were important causes of cancer and that if current trends continued, Australia faced a major spike in the number of obesity and overweight related cancers.
“One in four Australian children is overweight or obese, significantly increasing their risk of becoming obese adults and developing cancer,” Professor Olver said. “Poor nutrition is one of the key factors, yet targeted advertising continues to encourage unhealthy food choices in children despite research showing that restrictions to advertising would be by far the most cost-effective intervention for addressing obesity in adolescents.
“Advertising restrictions would also help to maximise returns on government investment in social marketing campaigns and other programs to encourage healthy eating, by ensuring they do not have to compete with far more powerful and extensive advertising promoting unhealthy food choices.
“The Australian Greens should be commended for showing national leadership on this important public health issue.”
Professor Olver also chairs the Australian Chronic Disease Prevention Alliance, which supports reducing exposure of children to unhealthy food marketing as one of its key policy priorities.
Source:
Cancer Council Australia