A coalition of parent, health and consumer groups have renewed calls for tougher advertising regulations, after releasing figures suggesting Australian children encounter about 2200 junk food advertisements on television per year. The Coalition on Food Advertising to Children (CFAC), which includes 15 prominent Australian public groups including the Cancer Council, Australian Medical Association and Choice, believe that children who watch two hours of television per day see 18 hours per year of unhealthy... ...Read more »

The Australian Medical Association is recommending that the money raised by the failed alcopops tax should be spent on a trial buy-back to reduce alcohol advertising in sport. AMA President, Dr Rosanna Capolingua, said handing the money, $340 million in total, back to the liquor industry made no sense. “This money should be put to good use. It could fund a carefully evaluated trial where government buys back advertising space that would otherwise be used by alcohol marketers during sporting... ...Read more »

With Australia now credited with the worst obesity epidemic in the world, a number of policy changes have been mooted. Health Minister Nicola Roxon said last week that the Federal Government considered obesity a concern of high priority, with a National Preventative Health Taskforce set up to provide recommendations to tackle the problem. “We’ve taken steps to make obesity a national health priority. We’re investing in community level initiatives,” she said. “Obviously... ...Read more »