Reports and position statements

Around 80% of overweight children will become overweight adults, so preventing weight gain in children is very important. This makes childhood overweight and obesity a key priority area for Cancer Council NSW.

Unhealthy food marketing is one such environmental factor that contributes to our “obesogenic” or obesity-promoting environment. Several international reviews show that food marketing influences children’s food preferences, the food that they request from their parents and ultimately the food that they eat.

Children’s constant exposure to unhealthy food in the media normalises these unhealthy foods, so that high fat, high sugar and high salt foods become an accepted part of their everyday diet. These foods tip the balance between food intake and physical activity so that more energy is taken in than is used up. Over time this imbalance can lead to weight gain.

Reports

Cancer Council has undertaken research to investigate food marketing for children and you can read more in the reports below.

Building solutions to protect children from unhealthy food and drink sport sponsorship report

In 2013, Cancer Council NSW and the Prevention Research Collaboration, University of Sydney conducted research to determine the scope of unhealthy food and drink sponsorship of children’s sport, the effect of this sponsorship on children, and potential solutions to create healthier sponsorship arrangements.

Read Building solutions to protect children from unhealthy food and drink sport sponsorship.

National Community Survey

To better understand the community’s attitudes relating to cancer prevention, we conducted a survey of 2,474 adults in NSW in 2007. The survey included questions on knowledge and views on food marketing to children.

Read the National Community Survey of TV Food Advertising to Children

Children’s Health or Corporate Wealth?

This report provides an overview of the research into the nature and extent of food marketing to children and its impact on children’s food preferences, their diet and their health.

The report also outlines current mandatory, co-regulatory and voluntary approaches in Australia and around the world to reduce food marketing to children and makes a series of recommendations to improve regulation and more effectively reduce children’s exposure to the unhealthy influence of food marketing.

Read Children’s Health or Corporate Wealth?

Our Kids, Our Call

Our Kids, Our Call is a campaign led by Cancer Council’s CanAct Community to stop junk food advertisers targeting our kids with manipulative advertising that encourages unhealthy eating habits and sets them up for a lifetime of poor health.

Join us in our campaign to tighten the regulations and protect our kids from junk food marketing. Parenting is difficult at the best of times. Restricting manipulative junk food marketing will help put your child on a healthier path into adult life and help us work towards a cancer-free future.

Position statements

Read our position statements on different nutritional factors and cancer risk.