Consultation documents released today show support for more significant action by governments to empower Australians to live healthy and active lives as part of a National Obesity Strategy (NOS).
The findings of the consultation on the NOS demonstrate significant public and stakeholder support for a range of strategies to promote the health of Australians. These include protections from the marketing of unhealthy food and using price levers to make healthy food more affordable as well as to increase the price of processed foods.
Survey respondents showed high support for:
- reducing exposure to marketing and promotion of unhealthy food and drinks (78%).
- looking at ways of changing the price of food and drinks to shift consumer purchases towards healthier options as very or extremely helpful (80%)
- developing ways to make good quality, culturally appropriate, healthy food and drinks more available and affordable in communities that are currently worse off (87%)
- increasing in the availability of healthier, more sustainable food and drinks in the places we live and work (86%)
Comments from Jane Martin:
“This strong support for action now needs to be translated into meaningful policies as part of a comprehensive strategy to tackle the commercial drivers which are fuelling Australia’s spiralling obesity epidemic.”
“Policies such as a health levy on sugary drinks and higher standards to protect children from unhealthy food and drink marketing would be a good start and progress as part of a comprehensive plan and these findings demonstrate public support for such measures.”
View and download the National Obesity Strategy consultation reports here.