Australians love their sugary food and carbohydrate heavy diet. AFR Weekend reminded us that the cost of treating the consequential type 2 diabetes is about $20 billion a year, with horrendous impacts such as minor and major amputations (“Urgent fight against our health crisis”).

A sugar tax and restrictions on advertising “junk” food have long been proposed as a means of changing society’s diet. The House of Representatives inquiry “The State of Diabetes Mellitus in Australia in 2024”, chaired by Dr Mike Freelander, recommended a levy on sugar-sweetened beverages and regulating the marketing of unhealthy food to children. The reality is, neither the Albanese government nor the Coalition are planning to adopt this regulatory approach.