Conference Highlights Dangers of Junk Food Ads

He said the AMA's position has been vindicated by reports from an international obesity conference in Sydney that likened ads for junk food to those for cigarettes.

Professor Boyd Swinburn of Deakin University, a council member of the London-based International Obesity task force, has told the conference that rules to prevent promoting junk food to children should be modelled on campaigns against tobacco.

"The AMA applauds this approach. Obesity has been with Australians for generations, but now it's reaching epidemic proportions," Dr Haikerwal said.

"Like cigarette addiction, obesity affects the body widely - it is a condition that brings with it the tragedy of significant illness early in life for those afflicted, including heart disease, stroke, diabetes and all its complications, as well as obesity-related cancers.

"Australia can't afford to keep flitting around the edges in dealing with this enormous problem.

"We must urgently strike at the key drivers of obesity."

The AMA again calls on the Government to urgently implement a powerful anti-obesity plan including bans on junk food advertising to children, removing sugary soft drinks and other junk food from schools, conducting an independent national nutrition survey and re-designing urban environments to encourage incidental exercise.

"Other measures are working, including the 'traffic light' labelling system for food - red for food high in fat, sugar and salt, green for food low in those things and amber for food which is in-between," Dr Haikerwal said.

"Food labelling, however, still needs to be more clear and consistent regarding the energy content and nutritional value of the food.

"The AMA also believes it's necessary to devote serious funding to community sport activities and to encourage a family-friendly approach to exercise.

"It's only through a decisive, nationally-coordinated and locally implemented approach that Australia will begin to turn the rising tide of overweight and obesity."

At the same time, Dr Haikerwal warned that combating obesity should not be confused with discriminating against obese people.

"We need to be careful about not stigmatising those who are obese," he said.

"We should recognise they have a health issue that must be addressed with compassion."