Cigarettes anytime, anywhere – taking tobacco temptation away

Tobacco is easily available throughout NSW. Kathy Chapman, Health Strategies Director for Cancer Council NSW, argues that instead of only regulating demand, the NSW government should address the issue of supply of cigarettes.

Fat Free TV takes a healthy step to tackle obesity

There is growing evidence that banning ads promoting junk food to children is likely to cut down their consumption. But Kathy Chapman, from Cancer Council NSW, says that in the abscence of regulations parental control is an essential part of the solution.

The growing influence of junk food advertising upon childhood obesity is a topic often debated in the media. Some call for banning junk food advertising when children watch TV and some contest whether ad bans will work, decrying a ‘nanny state’.

One cannot deny, however, the complexity surrounding childhood obesity and the need to act. One in four Australian children is considered overweight, and unfortunately a high proportion of these overweight children will become overweight adults, increasing their chance of chronic disease like cancer, heart disease and diabetes along the way.

Sugar coated regulations fail to save children from fast food ads

Fast food companies have failed to clean up their act under voluntary self regulations, with the total number of fast foods ads increasing on television since 2009, and no change in children’s exposure to unhealthy fast food ads. It proves what many of us feared; that the industry only pays lip service to effective and responsible advertising.

Recent research we undertook (Medical Journal of Australia) shows that children who watch up to three hours of television per day are exposed to more than 1640 fast food ads per year – a jump of more than 430 ads per year since industry regulations were introduced in August 2009.

This is contrary to the recommendations put forward by the World Health Organisation that any standards should be to reduce children’s exposure to fast-food and unhealthy food and drink advertising.