Ban Junk food ads on kids' TV - Australian Greens

Ban Junk food ads on kids' TV - Greens

The Greens day called for a co-ordinated approach between State and
Federal Governments to protect our kids from junk food in schools and junk food advertising on TV after school.

"Our children must be protected from slick marketers targeting our children. The message of healthy eating at school will be wasted if the before and after school TV diet is dominated by junk food," said lead Greens candidate and father of three, Mark Parnell.

The Greens support the proposed school tuckshop junk food ban in SA, but have already taken the issue further with Federal Greens leader, Bob Brown, promoting national changes to TV advertising Regulations in the Senate to ban junk food ads in kids' TV time slots.

Dietitians Association figures show that a third of all ads in children's programming timeslots are for food or drinks, and most of these are for junk food: snacks, soft drinks, sweets and fast food - high in fat, salt and sugar.

Two thirds of Australian children are now overweight, and Australia has the most junk food ads per hour of television than any other country in the world.

The World Health Organisation and the International Obesity Task Force agree that increasing junk food advertising is linked with increasing childhood obesity - or as some describe it - the new Generation O," said Mark Parnell.

"The health of these kids is not the only problem. It will also cost taxpayers billions of dollars when our children develop heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, and other health conditions later in life. The Greens have been calling for healthier tuckshop food for a long time. Restrictions on the advertising of junk food is the logical next step in fighting for the health our children," concluded Mr. Parnell.

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