Media releases

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.

More than 63 per cent of snack bars on major supermarket shelves do not display the Government-led Health Star Rating System and some manufacturers only use the stars on high-rating products, a new survey from the Obesity Policy Coalition has revealed.

A 20 per cent tax on sugary drinks in Australia could save more than 1,600 lives and raise $400 million per year for much-needed obesity prevention initiatives, new research co-authored by the Obesity Policy Coalition has revealed.

The Obesity Policy Coalition has welcomed the Victorian Government's announcement this morning that it will implement mandatory kilojoule labelling in chain fast food outlets and supermarkets across the state.

Australia's investment in life-saving health promotion programs now lags well behind many other comparable Western countries, public health experts say.

The Federal Government should implement a 20% tax on sugary drinks to improve the health of Australians and reduce the burden of chronic disease, according to Jane Martin, Executive Manager, Obesity Policy Coalition.

A new Obesity Policy Coalition report calls for action to protect children from junk food marketing, as profit-hungry food advertisers exploit loopholes in self-regulatory codes. The report, End the Charade, highlights the failures of self-regulation by the food and advertising industries, exposing sneaky tactics that are resulting in children being bombarded with junk food advertising.

A Fanta television advertisement and mobile phone app have been pulled after the Advertising Standards Board found they broke the rules by directly marketing an unhealthy drink to children.

The Obesity Policy Coalition is today congratulating Kellogg's on its decision to add Health Star Ratings to its breakfast cereal products.

Many popular children's fruit drinks which promote themselves as healthy options have been found to contain up to 7 teaspoons of sugar - even more sugar than for the same amount of Coke.

Australian cereal manufacturers are potentially misleading consumers by promoting healthy sounding statements on their packaging despite sugar making up more than 35% of the ingredients of some popular brands, a recent survey has revealed.

The release yesterday of the World Health Organization's guidelines around sugar has prompted a coalition of leading health organisations to call for a national strategy around obesity that includes policies to directly impact the amount of added sugars in Australians' diets.