Australian Medical Association

The Australian Medical Association (AMA) and the Australian Dental Association (ADA) have joined forces to heighten community awareness of the importance of dental care as part of overall personal health and wellbeing.

Doctors and dentists are specifically reminding people about the dangers of excess sugar consumption over the holidays.

The AMA is extremely disappointed that the Forum on Food Regulation today failed to endorse the traffic light system of labelling for packaged food.

AMA President, Dr Steve Hambleton, said that the Ministers have ignored the recommendations of the Labelling Logic report, which was prepared by an independent expert panel, and the professional advice from a range of public health authorities, including the AMA.

The AMA is urging the Federal Government to reconsider its decision not to support traffic light labelling for packaged foods and beverages.

AMA President, Dr Steve Hambleton, has today written to Health Minister Nicola Roxon, Parliamentary Secretary for Health and Ageing Catherine King, and Minister for Agriculture Senator Joe Ludwig, sending them an AMA brochure that provides compelling evidence that traffic light labelling is effective and explains how the system would work in practice.

AMA President, Dr Steve Hambleton, said today that the Government has responded positively to a number of recommendations of the Review of Food Labelling Law and Policy, but its failure to show leadership on traffic light labelling for foods is a huge disappointment.

It is difficult for Australian families to find the right information they need to make healthy choices about the food they consume. The AMA believes that a system of Traffic Light labelling on food products can provide easy to understand nutritional information for people to make those choices. This AMA paper publication details the evidence for a Traffic Light system of labelling and its advantages compared to alternative approaches.

It is difficult for Australian families to find the right information they need to make healthy choices about the food they consume. This AMA publication outlines the case for a Traffic Light system of labelling on food products to ensure that consumers can easily recognise and compare the healthiness of food products.

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AMA President, Dr Steve Hambleton, said today that the AMA supports the intent of the Greens’ Bill to regulate junk food advertising.

Dr Hambleton said that the Bill has succeeded in putting the focus back on the reality that voluntary schemes might work for a while, but there are no guarantees for the long term.

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The AMA today called on the Government to ban junk food advertising to young people.

AMA President, Dr Andrew Pesce, said that a survey released today confirms that advertising has a direct impact on the foods and drinks that older children and adolescents choose to consume.