The NSW Government is being urged to ban junk food advertising, following a study which found 75% of ads students see are for junk food and drinks.
The study, Junk Food Marketing Exposure on the School Run, looked at the number of junk food ads children would be exposed to on their way to school.
It took a sample of 21 school areas in Sydney chosen from the top 50 largest government-controlled schools. Another sub-study was carried out, analysing ads on 90 designated school buses that serviced eight Sydney schools.
It found that 72% of food ads on buses were for junk food and just 11% of outdoor ads children were exposed to were classified as healthy.
“These statistics are extremely concerning,” Cancer Council NSW nutrition program manager Wendy Watson said.
“We know that one in five NSW children are overweight or obese, and unhealthy habits developed now will carry into later life and can influence their risk of 12 different cancers.
“Despite evidence that restrictions on junk food marketing to children is an effective obesity prevention intervention, the NSW government continues to gather revenue from advertising junk food on state-owned property, sending harmful mixed messages and contradicting the healthy messages children receive within the school gate.”
The study also found children on public transport saw 4.5 junk food ads per trip.
In response to these finding, Cancer Council has ramped up calls to restrict junk food ads, calling on the next government to remove all junk food ads from NSW Government owned or leased property, particularly public transport.
It adds to the mounting pressure on governments to tighten restrictions around alcohol and gambling advertising, with a study this month calling on alcohol ads to be banned during sport.
Junk food advertising has been a long-running issue, however, little has been done to curb unhealthy food ads.
McDonald's is a sponsor of both the NRL and AFL, recently signing on to the newly formed AFLW for a five year deal.
Meanwhile, KFC has a long association with Australian cricket, being a naming rights partner of the KFC Big Bash League.
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