Fast food advertising aimed at children tackled by Australian consumer groups

An international campaign has been launched to protect children from fast food advertising.

The global campaign involving Australia's Choice and more than 50 other consumer groups aims to restrict the marketing of unhealthy foods which are aimed at children.

The campaign is calling for a voluntary code of practice including tight restrictions on television and internet advertising and an end to the use of celebrities, cartoon characters, competitions or free gifts.

Current regulations do not protect children from being bombarded with advertising for junk food.

The campaign also wants a ban on unhealthy food promotion in schools.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) as many as 177 million children worldwide are threatened by obesity-related diseases.

The new code focuses on foods high in fat, sugar and salt, and Choice is calling on the Australian Government for support.

Choice says Government support is crucial in order to get the code up and running and the problem is not confined to Australia.

However the Federal Government says it will not change existing regulations until later this year after an Australian Communications and Media Authority report on junk food advertising for children is completed.

Choice says around 25% of TV ads aired between 7am and 9pm are for unhealthy foods and the volume of unhealthy food ads increases when children are most likely to be viewing in early evening and Saturday mornings.

The Coalition on Food Advertising to Children says one in three television advertisements during children’s viewing times in Australia are for food and between 55 - 81 % are for foods high in fat and/or high in sugar.

Choice says at supermarkets, cinemas and even sporting events fast-food companies are advertising their products using cartoon characters or media personalities and sporting icons which appeal to children.

Choice also condemns marketing techniques such as competitions to win a holiday, a bike or a MP3 player, collecting product tokens to redeem a prize, the sponsorship of school sports and the use of junk foods in fundraising.

Choice says food manufacturers spend millions on such tactics each year because it works.

Choice says it wants to support parents to make healthy choices for their children and food marketing which tempts children with salty, fatty or sugary foods inevitably makes it harder for parents to do the right thing.

A Choice survey in 2006 found 82 per cent of Australians want the Government to regulate the way food and drinks are promoted to children.

In February, this year the South Australian Government called for a voluntary nationwide withdrawal of junk food ads during children's television viewing, following a similar ban in the UK currently being phased in.

Choice wants to see Government regulation of all forms of food marketing to children and products assessed by a nutrient profiling system in order to determine whether they are healthy enough to be promoted directly to children.

The new code will be presented to the World Health Assembly in May.