Pittwater Life July 2023 Issue

News
Scamps’ ban on junk food ads
The President of the Australian
Medical Association
(AMA) and the CEO
of Diabetes Australia (DA) are
among key health sector leaders
who have lent their support
to Independent MP for Mackellar
Dr Sophie Scamps’ move to
ban and time-restrict junk food
marketing on television, radio,
social media and other online
environments.
In June, Dr Scamps tabled a
Private Members Bill aimed at
protecting children from junk
food marketing by removing
ads from TV and radio between
the hours of 6am and 9.30pm.
Junk foods are foods that
don’t play a role in healthy eating,
lacking nutrients, vitamins
and minerals
and being high in
kilojoules (energy),
salts, sugars and
fats.
If enacted, the
‘Healthy Kids
Advertising Bill’
would also place
an outright ban
on junk food
marketing on
social media, with
substantial fines
imposed on broadcasters,
internet
service providers,
and food companies that fail to
adhere to its guidelines.
AMA President Professor
Steve Robson said banning
junk food ads on TV was an
important measure that would
decrease the impact junk food
advertisers had on impressionable
young minds.
“With about one half of all
Australians having at least one
BILL: Dr Scamps.
chronic disease, it’s time we
took some preventative action,”
he said.
DA CEO Justine Cain noted a
child who watched 80 minutes
of TV per day would see
around 800 junk food ads a
year.
“The ads are designed to
encourage children to make
unhealthy food choices that
can lead to weight gain and
ultimately set children up for
unhealthy lives and a greater
risk of serious chronic conditions
like type 2 diabetes,” she
said.
“As a community we need to
do more to protect our children
from the very serious chronic
conditions that can result from
regular unhealthy
food choices.
Together we can
affect change.”
Dr Scamps, a
former GP and
emergency room
doctor, said she
was compelled
to act due to
the increasing
prevalence of
childhood obesity
and chronic disease,
with obesity
estimated to cost
the health system
$11.8 billion annually.
Dr Scamps also said many
parents in Mackellar had raised
concerns about the predatory
targeting of their children by
junk food companies.
“A quarter of our children
are already on the path to
chronic disease because they
are over the healthy weight
range” said Dr Scamps.
IMPORTANT: Decreasing the impact junk food advertisers have on kids.
“We know our children are
exposed to over 800 junk
food ads on TV alone every
year, and that there is a direct
link between those ads and
childhood obesity. The current
restrictions are not strong
enough, and self-regulation is
not working.
“If we continue to stand by
while children are deluged by
junk food advertising on social
media and on TV, then we are
failing them.”
Dr Scamps said research
conducted by the Australia Institute
in late 2022 also showed
strong public support for regulating
unhealthy food marketing,
with two-thirds backing a
ban on junk food advertising.
“Approximately 40 countries
around the world already have
or are planning to regulate
junk food advertising. I want
to see Australia join this list,”
she said.
“At a time when our health
system is under strain, investing
in preventative health
measures to combat the rising
cost of chronic disease is plain
common sense. The National
Obesity Strategy found obesity
costs our health system $11.8
billion every year and this
figure will only grow if nothing
is done.”
Dr Scamps said she was
“heartened” by conversations
she’d had with the Albanese
Government which led her to
believe there was “genuine political
will” to address the issue.
“Protecting our children
from obesity and a potential
future of chronic disease is
something all sides of politics
can get behind.”
Dr Scamps’ Bill was developed
in consultation with
public health and marketing
experts.
It does not cover print or outdoor
advertising, sport sponsorship,
nor content shared by
food and beverage companies
on their own websites and
social media channels.
– Lisa Offord
6 JULY 2023
The Local Voice Since 1991