Call for government to ban junk food and drink marketing to kids

Aussies overwhelmingly want fast food companies to be prevented from creating games and mobile apps to appeal specifically to children.

Most Australians want a blanket ban on targeting children online with the marketing of junk food and drink.

New research shows the majority would also support government action to stop unhealthy food and drink companies designing websites, games and mobile apps to appeal specifically to children.

The research by Cancer Council Victoria also found that more than 80 per cent of Australian adults surveyed were opposed to food and drink companies being able to collect children’s personal information for marketing purposes.

Executive manager of the Food for Health Alliance Jane Martin says existing industry advertising and marketing codes to protect children are not enough, and there are no meaningful penalties.

Kate Reid with her daughters Ivy, 4, and Indie, 18 months. Picture: Mark Stewart

Ms Martin says self-regulation is not best practice and she believes the Privacy Act that is now under review by the Federal Government will offer an important first step in protecting children.

The Food for Health Alliance was introduced in 2006 as a policy and advocacy voice to help improve diets and prevent overweight and obesity in Australia.

Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said in February that the Privacy Act had not kept pace with the changes in the digital world.

Recommendations following a two-year review were released in February and now await the final response from the federal government.

Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus in February said the Privacy Act had not kept pace with the changes in the digital world. Picture: Martin Ollman

Ms Martin says momentum for change is building.

This week Teal MP Sophie Scamps introduced a bill into federal parliament to restrict junk food advertisements aimed at children. While this bill still needs support to proceed, Ms Martin says the Privacy Act is “on foot” with recommendations made.

“We want the government to take this opportunity to bring in strong protections to stop children’s information being collected and used for commercial marketing, and particularly for harmful marketing like unhealthy food,” Ms Martin says.

“We want the government response to the Privacy Act review to include those protections for children.

“What happens right now is that a lot of information is collected from children and can be used to inform and target marketing.”

She said changes to the Privacy Act wouldn’t be a complete solution.

“But it is an important opportunity in the same way that we have seen this government update controls around tobacco,” Ms Martin said. “We want to see a comprehensive approach implemented to support children and families to have healthy diets.”

Ms Martin says research shows Australian children aged 13 to 17 years are exposed to almost 100 online promotions for unhealthy food and drinks every week.

The Cancer Council Victoria survey was of more than 2000 Australian adults aged 18 to 64 years and published in the Health Promotion Journal of Australia.

Lead researcher Belinda Morley says there was widespread support for government action to stop unhealthy food and drink advertising on digital platforms including the internet and social media.

Dr Morley, from the Centre for Behavioural Research for Cancer, says there is a public perception that the government is responsible for protecting children well into adolescence from unhealthy food and drink marketing broadly.

Dental nurse Kate Reid is mum to Ivy, 4, and 18-month-old Indie and says she “wholeheartedly supports” a ban.

Mrs Reid said she and husband Chris chose not to give their daughters added sugar because of concerns with links to childhood obesity, type 2 diabetes and other health risks.

“Junk food marketing is everywhere,” Mrs Reid said. “Some come off as healthy, but once you read the nutrient panel the truth is revealed.”

She said her young daughters have restricted online access and do not watch free to air TV.

“I do not necessarily keep them away from it, but I do make a conscious decision to limit their exposure to junk food advertising,” she said.

She knows once Ivy and Indie start school it may be more difficult.

“We just hope that we have planted the seed that there are other options to make healthy choices,” she said.

Originally published as Call for government to ban junk food and drink marketing to kids