Alarm over ‘concerning’ ads on kids’ routes to school

Cancer experts have raised the alarm after uncovering a “concerning” pattern in junk food adverts being located near dozens of Victorian schools and kids’ transport routes.

Children are bombarded with junk food marketing, a shocking new audit has revealed, with food advertisements located near schools far more likely to promote unhealthy products.

Cancer Council Victoria researchers found junk food in 91 per cent of the surveyed food and drink adverts displayed within 500m of a school, compared to a much lower rate – 57 per cent – in marketing outside this zone.

The “concerning” research, based on advertisements on public transport infrastructure, such as bus stops, along routes to 50 Victorian schools in 2023, has reignited the cancer body’s clash with the state government over marketing rules.

The council has been campaigning to ban junk food advertisements on public transport, its infrastructure and within 500m of schools, warning the cost to kids’ health – including cancer risk – is not worth it.

An image from Cancer Council Victoria's Food Fight campaign. Picture: Supplied

The council’s chief executive Todd Harper said it was “particularly horrifying” that the environment around schools was “such a rich ground for junk food manufacturers to promote their products to children”.

“Whether it’s a deliberate strategy, or whether it’s just a consequence of having no regulation in this area, the results are clear,” he said.

“I think parents would be disappointed to see that the healthy messages that all parents encourage with their children are potentially being undermined by this huge volume of advertising occurring in this environment kids can’t avoid.

“Food choices early in life can determine health outcomes in the future, and particularly we’re concerned about the 13 types of cancer which we know are associated with being overweight later in life.”

The new research shows the percentage of food advertisements selling unhealthy products – not the total number – increasing close to schools.

Researchers are concerned about the number of advertisements for unhealthy food near schools. Picture: Supplied

But, regardless of location, the majority of food advertisements on public transport (58 per cent) promoted unhealthy products, with tram stops home to the most.

In one example, a Dockland Primary School student travelling from Flinders Street Station would have passed 33 unhealthy advertisements – about one every 91 metres – in just 3km.

The Council’s obesity programs’ head Jane Martin said research showed almost half of teenagers’ calorie intake was made up of unhealthy foods.

“There are cancers that are associated with poor diet, so not enough fruit and vegetables, not enough fibre,” she said.

“So you are increasing your risk even if you’re not above a healthy weight.”

She said successful bans overseas, such as London, had led to a decrease in junk food purchases and we needed to put kids’ health above companies’ profits.

“This marketing affects what kids eat, what they want to eat and what they ask to eat, and if they’ve got their own money, what they buy,” she said.

A Victorian Government spokeswoman said there were “no plans” to change public transport advertising guidelines and their focus was on giving Victorians information “to make healthy choices”.

“That’s why we’ve already legislated kilojoule labelling, advocated for added sugar labelling on infant food and continue to support the national Health Star rating,” she said.