Preventing weight gain in children is a key priority area at Cancer Council. Marketing of unhealthy foods is one factor that helps create an unhealthy environment and contributes to overweight and obesity. Children are a vulnerable audience who do not fully understand the purpose of advertising and can therefore be deceived by ads. Studies have shown that food marketing affects what food chilcren prefer and the food they ask their parents to buy.
The Cancer Council has recently established a website to help parents voice concerns about junk food marketing to children. Visit junkbusters.com.au to sign up to the newsletter or say what you think.