All Information in This Email Is Embargoed Until Tuesday January 20Th, 2015

All information in this email is embargoed until Tuesday January 20th, 2015

Summary at a glance:

Disturbing new research (being launched on Tuesday January 20th) prompts four major health groups to demand decisive action on the never ending marketing of junk food and sugary drinks to children.

Shocking new research shows 79% of Australians think our children will live shorter lives than their parents because of fatty sugary food and drinks AND nearly two thirds of people say the food industry has more say over the regulation of food than the Government.

Remarkably, 50% of people polled want a tax on junk food and sugary drinks - there is support for this in all ages. 77% say all packaged foods should now have a health star rating.

The new campaign is being launched by The Consumers Health Forum, the Heart Foundation, the Obesity Policy Coalition and the Public Health Association of Australia ... they all want the Federal Government to take much more action.

MEDIA RELEASE/INFORMATION - EMBARGOED UNTIL TUESDAY JANUARY 20TH, 2015

Four leading health groups are calling on the Federal Government to take decisive action to end the widespread and never ending marketing of junk food and drink to children after a disturbing new poll reveals widespread unease about unhealthy diets.

People in metropolitan and regional areas were interviewed for the poll.

The keynew research being released today (Tuesday January 20th) reveals:

79% of Australians polled believe if we don't do more to lower the intake of fatty sugary and salty foods/drinks, our children will live shorter lives than their parents.

The disturbing research also shows nearly two thirds of people polled (64%) say the food industry seems to have more say than the Government over the regulation of food.

77% support making it compulsory for ALL packaged foods to have a health star rating (just 9% oppose the idea).

50% of people polled approve of the Government putting a tax on junk food/sugary drinks (like the taxes on alcohol and tobacco).

There is strong support in all aged categories for the idea (52% of 18 to 34 year olds approved, 49% of 35 to 54 year olds approved and 48% of people 55 plus approved).

In the wake of the Essential Research nationwide poll, 4 major groups have joined together to urge the Federal Government to take decisive and firm action to stop the never-ending promotion of unhealthy food.

The Consumers Health Forum, the Heart Foundation, the Obesity Policy Coalition and the Public Health Association of Australia say action is now critically needed.

85% of people polled said unhealthy eating habits are now a major problem for Australian children.

Essential Research polled 1,016 respondents for the new poll.

This extensive media kit gives you full background.

This is the first time 4 huge groups have joined together demanding action.

To book an interview in simply call Eren or Ross at Media Key on 03 9769 6488.

Numerous key personnel are available to speak out about the MASSIVE concern Australians have about children's unhealthy eating habits and the CRITICAL need for action.

Full details are in the story are now to be found below including statements from the organisations involved.

SPECIAL NOTE: The new Essential Research (being formally launched on Tuesday Jaunary 20th, 2015) is also summarised at a glance at the foot of this document.

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MORE INFORMATION

More than 80 per cent of Australians say unhealthy eating habits are a major problem for children. More than three quarters fear that if Australians don’t lower their intake of fatty, sugary and salty foods, today’s children will live shorter lives than their parents.

In the wake of these findings of a nationwide poll, the Consumers Health Forum, the Heart Foundation, the Obesity Policy Coalition and the Public Health Association of Australia have today (20 January) urged the Federal Government to take decisive action to stop promotion of unhealthy food, particularly to children.

The groups called on Federal Health Minister Sussan Ley to work with Assistant Health Minister, Fiona Nash, to develop a comprehensive national obesity prevention strategy, including:

Moving as quickly as possible to make the new health food stars rating system compulsory for packaged food products, a measure supported by more than three quarters of people polled.
Opposing the marketing of junk food to children on social media and outlawing advertising of these products during TV programs popular with children, including sports broadcasts.
Exploring a tax on sugar sweetened beverages.
Renewing and strengthening the national food reformulation program to reduce excessive sugar, fat and salts in processed food.

“It’s time for decisive action when 85 per cent of Australians says unhealthy diet is a problem for our children and 79 per cent fear their children will live shorter lives because of their fatty, sugary and salty food and drinks,” the four organisations said.

“It is disturbing that nearly two thirds of Australians say the food industry seems to have more say than the Government over the regulation of food.

“The evidence is damning. On unhealthy food promotion, profits have been put before people.

“Despite at least six reports from taskforces, obesity summits and research papers in the past 20 years advocating firm measures to stop marketing junk food to children, the advertising of fat, sugar and salt-drenched products continues largely unrestricted.

“Disturbingly junk food promotion has become more insidious via social media where children are preyed upon by food companies, out of sight of parents.

“It is a sick deception for opponents of restrictions on junk food advertising to children to talk of ‘nanny state’ measures.

“It is the food industry which has received the nanny state treatment, being protected by governments. Their products are a major factor in the spread of obesity, now costing Australia an estimated $56billion a year in direct and indirect costs.

“Unperturbed, the big food companies maintain a barrage of overt and incidental marketing of foods with high levels of fat, sugar and salt.

“More than half of Australians polled rejected the suggestion that regulating junk food advertising to children on TV and social media would be “nanny state” over reaction.

“The routine association of companies like Coca Cola, KFC and McDonalds with sport has nurtured a lethal culture of routine consumption of these products, predisposing millions of Australians to a life of chronic ill-health, diabetes, heart disease and cancer in marked contrast to their sporting heroes.

“Half of Australians reject junk food and sugary drink companies sponsoring sport.

“Governments and industry have tended to offset the pressure for action on unhealthy food by focusing on measures to lift low levels of physical activity. Exercise is vital but by itself will not solve our obesity problem.

“For instance, it takes a 10-year-old about 60 minutes of running to burn off the kilojoules in a 60g Kit Kat Chunky snack bar. A 45g packet of potato crisps takes an adult woman a 20-minute run to burn off.

“Making the health star system mandatory for packaged food would be a win-win-win for the Government. The measure is supported by 77 per cent of Australians. It would trigger long term population-wide health benefits. It would be at virtually no cost to the taxpayer.

“We acknowledge the work of Minister Nash in rolling out the health food stars. Now it is time for the Government to step up the concerted action needed to safeguard the health of our children for the future,” the four organisations said.

The CEO of Consumers Health Forum, Adam Stankevicius says: “There are few issues more important for health consumers than a healthy diet. In order to make the best decisions about their eating habits, consumers need the best information. Industry and government are essential providers of information about healthy eating and nutrition, as well as being regulators of the promotion of unhealthy food, particularly to children. Improving information availability and not ‘blaming’ consumers for being obese, will create winners all round. We know there is widespread community support for action on unhealthy eating, the costs of implementation are minimal and there are long-term benefits for consumers, government, industry and public health in Australia.”

The president of the Public Health Association of Australia, Professor Heather Yeatman, says: “Government action is critical from both a health and financial perspective. Unless immediate action is taken to address dietary related illness there will be a significant increase in cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. With this increase in disease there is a commensurate loss productivity, an increase in hospitalisation and more demand on our health systems. While food companies might be increasing their profits, it is the taxpayers that will be wearing the losses. Instead of taking action to address obesity and other dietary related illness we now we have government MPs trying to make the situation worse by calling for a GST on fresh food.”

Heart Foundation National CEO Mary Barry says: “The obesity crisis is threatening a whole generation of children. The last thing children need, is more incentive to pester parents for unhealthy snacks. We have a national obesity crisis and action is needed now. Discretionary foods now make up 35 per cent of the Australian diet. These are not habits we want to pass on to our children. We call on the government to immediately launch a national obesity strategy that will tackle physical inactivity, food reformulation and tax sugar sweetened beverages. Such a tax would help protect Australian children and help stem the cost of obesity in this country which is estimated at $56 billion a year.”

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The new Essential Research at a glance.

50% of people polled approve of the Government putting a tax on junk food/sugary drinks (like the taxes on alcohol and tobacco). There is strong support in all aged categories for the idea (52% of 18 to 34 year olds approved, 49% of 35 to 54 year olds approved and 48% of people 55 plus approved).

A substantial majority agreed with the statements:

If we don't do more to lower intake of fatty sugary and salty foods and drinks, our children will live shorter lives than their parents (79%). 12% disagreed.

The food industry seems to have more say than the Government over the regulation of food (64%).

The Government should take more action to discourage unhealthy diets - particularly amongst children (64%).

Unhealthy eating habits are a major problem for Australian children (85%). Just 10% disagreed.

50% of people polled disagreed with the idea that it is ok for junk food/sugary drink companies to sponsor sport.

52% disagreed with the idea that regulating advertising of junk food to children on TV/social media would be an unnecessary over-reaction of a 'nanny state'.

77% support making it compulsory for ALL packaged foods to have a health star rating. Just 9% opposed the idea.

The survey of 1,016 respondents was conducted by Essential Research online throughout Australia on December 12 to 15, 2014.

At this stage, to set up an interview call Ross Woodward or Eren at Media Key on 03 9769 6488.

If this document is updated, you will be supplied with a fully updated version. Thank you.