FED:Greens push for junk food ad ban

AAP General News (Australia)
06-29-2011
FED:Greens push for junk food ad ban

CANBERRA, June 29 AAP - Laws to ban junk food advertising aimed at children on television,
the internet and mobile devices will be brought to federal parliament next week.

Greens leader Bob Brown said Labor and the coalition needed to seriously consider his
legislation.

"(They should) listen to what the medical advice says, or look at the economic ramifications
if you can't see the social ramifications of the coming epidemic of obesity in this country
and around the world," Senator Brown told reporters in Canberra on Wednesday.

The Australian Medical Association (AMA) on Monday called on the federal government
to introduce new rules for the fast-food industry, saying self-regulation was not working.

The call came after a study found that children were being exposed to the same number
of junk-food ads on TV despite the fast-food industry's introduction of voluntary rules
about marketing products to children.

The study found the total number of fast-food ads had increased after the industry's
voluntary code was introduced in August 2009, with no change in those for junk food.

But the Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) says ads for unhealthy foods aimed
at children make up a "very small proportion" of all food and beverage ads.

Seven fast-food chains including McDonald's, Pizza Hut and KFC have signed up to the
voluntary code, which set new nutrition standards for foods aimed at under-14s.

AAP pjo/dep

KEYWORD: FASTFOOD

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