It is no secret that slurpees, pizza and chips are adored by children – but excessively promoting junk food in public places is where the buck should stop, says Gymea mum Linda Tollis.
Mrs Tollis is supporting a statewide Cancer Council Saving Life 2019 campaign, which calls on the NSW government to act on marketing sugary food to its most vulnerable target market – kids.
The campaign’s aim is to tackle childhood obesity by urging rule-makers to tighten guidelines when it comes to the promotion of fast food in the community.
The proposal to remove junk food advertising from state owned property to reduce children’s exposure and support national regulations on food marketing to children, is one of the key focus points of the campaign.
Splattered across buses and billboards, junk food marketing is a part of everyday life. But it shouldn’t be, says Mrs Tollis, who wrote a nutritional program for children in 2014.
Despite her efforts in teaching her children healthy eating habits, seeing highly processed food advertisements sprawled across the street, is making her job as a responsible parent, more difficult.
“My children do choose healthy foods because I have spent a lot of time educating them, but they still ask for junk food after it’s been advertised,” the mother-of-two said.
“They can also memorise ads which shows how powerful they can be.
“The government needs to support parents to encourage healthy eating by removing junk food advertising from government-owned property.”
“Helping kids eat well today reduces their risk of cancer, diabetes, and heart disease later in life.”
Almost a quarter of a million children in NSW are overweight or obese, reveals the Cancer Council.
Families are encouraged to support the campaign by attending the Sutherland Shire Candidate forum at 7pm-8pm on February 12 at Club on East, Sutherland.
The forum will let candidates know what they can do, if elected at the upcoming state election, to work towards reducing the effects of cancer in the community.
RSVP here or call 9334 1721.