Children’s Rights vs Corporate Interests: Unhealthy food advertising in Australia

Children’s Rights vs Corporate Interests:

Unhealthy food advertising in Australia

5th October 2013Jane Martin

Executive Manager

The grim reality – children’s health

1. 25% of Australian Children are overweight or obese

2. risk of overweight and obesity in adulthood

3. risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and some cancers.

4. Heavily influenced by environmental exposure to advertising and marketing

5. Significant consumers of sugary drinks, fast food and processed foods. Large numbers of children don’t eat the recommended amount of fruit and vegetables

6. Families of low socioeconomic status experience higher levels of overweight and obesity

Ethical obligations to protect children from corporate influence are impacted by:

1.Children’s vulnerability – lack of cognitive capacity to critically assess commercial messaging;

2.Lack of ability to shape their own environments;

3.The significance of the life-long impacts they experience following early development of dietary habits and attitudes.

Children’s “rights” in context

Environments – marketing saturation.

1. TV – free to air, pay TV, product placement, commercials, sports broadcasts

2. Websites, games, apps, “sharing” on Facebook, competitions, peer endorsement, i-pads

3. Sport and activities – sponsorship, prizes, programs, uniforms, merchandise

4. Schools and settings – vending machines, canteens, programs, sport

5. Giveaways, toys, movie tie-ins, collectables, colouring competitions.

6. Packaging – celebrity endorsement, sports stars, health and nutrient claims, characters

TV Environments

Online Environments

Sponsorship of Children’s Sport

Policy Change – A role for government

Legislative reform to control all forms of advertising – TV, online, print…

Apply to all unhealthy food, defined by government standards

Administered by an independent body

Meaningful sanctions, enforcement, disincentives

Regular review and monitoring

Define key terms “children” “unhealthy food” etc

Policy change – People Power