Obesity is a major cause of cancer in Australia. Cancer Council Australia is deeply concerned about the escalation of obesity and overweight, including the tripling of childhood obesity rates recorded between 1985 and 1995 (the latest national data).
With evidence that excessive consumption of foods high in sugar, fats and salt is a major contributor to childhood obesity, children’s eating habits and the marketing of junk food to Australian children have become major public health issues.
Food marketing to children in Australia explores the sophisticated techniques used by major food companies in Australia to market unhealthy food products to children and how food company policies and false associations between products and imagery of health and fitness contradict actual sales and marketing techniques.
Conducted by the University of Wollongong’s Centre for Health Initiatives on behalf of Cancer Council Australia, the report is in two parts – an analysis of the specific marketing strategies employed by food companies and interviews with children demonstrating how they are affected by food marketing.
Please click here to download the report