Bold plan to tackle Australia’s obesity epidemic with aggressive advertising and mandatory health star ratings

A team of researchers have developed a bold plan to reduce the 62.5 per cent of Australians who are either overweight or obese.

University researchers have called for an aggressive marketing strategy for junk food in a bombshell recommendation targeted at tackling Australia’s out-of-control obesity problem.

Applying graphic images on junk food packaging similar to that on cigarette packs was among a host of recommendations made by a team of researchers at the University of Western Australia, The West reported.

The report, developed by Meredith Blake, Marilyn Bromberg, Stephanie Parnell and William Conti, detailed how meaningful change was required by state and federal governments for their plan to be effective.

It involved adding mandatory health warnings to junk food, limiting access to fast food restaurants, mandating the health star rating system, and restricting junk food from being advertised on public transport and daytime television.

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A team of university researchers have developed recommendations to curb Australia’s obesity problem. Picture: iStock

“To achieve the preventive health goal of reducing the rising incidence of obesity, it is crucial for Australian food labelling laws to prescribe an interpretative, front-of-pack labelling scheme that is truthful, accurate and familiar to the community,” the report said.

The health star rating is already broadly used in Australia however it runs on an opt-in basis, giving companies the option not to display the ratings of their products.

Dr Bromberg said graphic images of obese people was likely to have a significant impact on consumers

“Something visual would probably be helpful because it has more of an impact,” she said.

According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 62.5 per cent of Australians over the age of 15 are overweight or obese.

“We need to protect people. Obesity is a huge problem, and sometimes you need to put people’s health ahead of making money.”

The research team suggested applying a tax on sugary items could also positively influence rates of obesity in the country.