To the Editor: Australia has one of the highest levels of food advertising on television in the developed world,1 with most advertisements being for foods that are high in fat, sugar, and/or salt.2 Evidence from international reviews suggests that television food advertising has an independent effect on children’s food preferences and purchasing requests.3,4 While the size of this effect is indeterminate, and the evidence base is correlational and therefore inadequate for making causal inferences,5 there is a highly plausible link between television food advertising and overweight and obesity. It is important to examine whether current regulations protect Australian children from excessive exposure to advertisements for unhealthy food on television.
The full article is accessible to AMA members and paid subscribers. Login to read more or purchase a subscription now.
Please note: institutional and Research4Life access to the MJA is now provided through Wiley Online Library.
- 1. Lobstein T, Dibb S. Evidence of a possible link between obesogenic food advertising and child overweight. Obes Rev 2005; 6: 203-208.
- 2. Chapman K, Nicholas P, Supramaniam R. How much food advertising is there on Australian television? Health Promot Int 2006; 21: 172-180.
- 3. Hastings G, Stead M, McDermott L, et al. Review of research on the effects of food promotion to children. Final report. Glasgow: University of Strathclyde, 2003.
- 4. Institute of Medicine Committee on Food Marketing and the Diets of Children and Youth; McGinnis JM, Appleton Gootman J, Kraak VI, editors. Food marketing to children and youth: threat or opportunity? Washington, DC: National Academies Press, 2006.
- 5. Carter O. The weighty issue of Australian television food advertising and childhood obesity. Health Promot J Austr 2006; 17: 5-11.
We wish to acknowledge Lesley King, Vicki Flood and Ben Smith for their contribution to the children’s television advertising study and their assistance in writing this letter.
NSW Health provided funding for the television advertising study.