Media Releases

Drinking sugary soft drinks could increase cancer risk, regardless of body size, reveals new research from Cancer Council Victoria and University of Melbourne.

A coalition of leading health agencies, the Obesity Policy Coalition, has written to the state and territory health ministers who make up the Australia New Zealand Ministerial Forum on Food Regulation calling on them to urgently adopt a recommendation to identify 'added sugars' on food labels when they meet later this month.

Thirty-four leading community, public health, medical and academic groups have today united for the first time to call for urgent Federal Government action to address Australia's serious obesity problem.

New research from Cancer Council Victoria has revealed what food companies have known for decades – that supplying movie character toys with fast food has an enormous impact on what Aussie kids want to eat.

More than half of supermarket products marketed at kids are unhealthy, new research from the Obesity Policy Coalition (OPC) has revealed.

The Obesity Policy Coalition has applauded the NSW Government for committing to remove all sugary drinks and boost healthy food choices in its hospitals and health services, in a change to take effect from December.

The Obesity Policy Coalition (OPC) has welcomed the Federal Budget announcement of $10m for research into chronic disease prevention, $10m for walking interventions and $5 million to enable better GP interventions for patients with obesity, but obesity prevention is still incredibly underfunded.

A landmark study involving more than 100 nutrition and policy experts from 53 organisations across the country has identified critical action areas for Australian governments to tackle the rise of obesity through unhealthy diets - now one of the leading causes of preventable death and disability in Australia.

Leading health organisations have today congratulated the Victorian Government for passing legislation to make kilojoule labelling on menus mandatory, as new data shows the majority of Victorians support the move, along with an education campaign.

As new figures reveal high rates of overweight and obesity right across the country, the Obesity Policy Coalition (OPC) is calling for a national obesity strategy to address a serious and widespread weight problem.

Australia's independent advertising watchdog, the Advertising Standards Board (ASB) has found Unilever in breach of the Responsible Children's Marketing Initiative (RCMI) after a complaint by the Obesity Policy Coalition (OPC) was upheld.

The Obesity Policy Coalition has welcomed a major Grattan Institute report recommending the introduction of a tax on sugary drinks in Australia, which is urgently needed to help curb increasing rates of obesity and chronic disease.

The Obesity Policy Coalition has welcomed The Greens' pledge to introduce a 20 per cent tax on sugary drinks as part of its broader plan to combat Australia's worsening obesity problem.

Food companies who make misleading health claims on children's products have been put on notice today by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).

The Obesity Policy Coalition (OPC) has welcomed Labor's plan to prevent chronic disease but warns more needs to be done to reduce the impact of obesity.