There are too many barriers faced by Western Australians when it comes to eating well. Highly processed, unhealthy food and drinks are heavily advertised, promoted and widely available.
Cancer Council WA advocates for policies that shift the focus back to healthy food and drink options, that will support Western Australian’s to eat well, to live in the best possible health and reduce their risk of diet and obesity related chronic disease including cancer.
We do this by:
- Working with researchers to build evidence
- Talking to community and decision-makers
- Working with other health and medical organisations to build consensus and capacity
This work is generously funded by Healthway and is undertaken in partnership with the Telethon Kids Institute.
Stay up to date
To stay up to date on our work, subscribe to our Obesity Policy Review newsletter by emailing ObesityPolicy@cancerwa.asn.au and read back issues. You can also follow us on Twitter at ObesityPolicyWA.
WA government action to restrict unhealthy food and drink advertising on government property.
Setting standards for the types of food and drinks advertised on government property is a cost-effective action governments can take.
Evaluations show it can improve population diets, deliver health and cost benefits and not make an impact to government revenue.
2023 Policy brief - Healthy food and drink advertising on WA Government property
2023 Economic evaluation Restricting unhealthy advertising WA Gov Property CBA Summary
Joint statement WA public health groups
Reports
- Food Advertising on School Buses: Commissioned research by the Western Australian Cancer Prevention and Research Centre (WACPRU) to understand the amount of unhealthy food advertising displayed at Perth train station and on buses stopping at a sample of Perth high schools on the first day of school for 2020.
- Junk-food filled neighbourhoods – Building a local evidence base for change: Commissioned research by the Telethon Kids Institute to investigate outdoor food marketing around Perth schools and current density of fast-food outlets in Perth. It builds the evidence for regulatory interventions required for outdoor advertising and planning reform to control fast food outlet development.
- Junk food in sport: it’s just not cricket. A report on how much KFC branding children are exposed to as part of the Cricket Australia KFC Big Bash League and what does the Western Australian community think about junk food sponsorship in sport, results of a Cancer Council WA survey.
- Unhealthy Promotion in Elite Sport: When Burgers Aren’t Better: A report showing that every fourth Instagram post by elite WA sporting teams promotes unhealthy behaviours.
- Policy Brief: Reform of Western Australia’s planning legislative framework in order to promote specific public health objectives: Cancer Council WA has been working with researchers and partners to build the case to convince decision makers to implement a crucial public health recommendation, to amend the planning law to include health as a consideration in planning decisions. Cancer Council WA, together with the UWA Law School prepared this Policy Brief for decision makers in order to highlight why this is needed and met with the Minister for Planning’s office to present the brief.
- Critique of WA Planning Law and how community health is protected?: Cancer Council WA commissioned the UWA Law School to examine State Planning Law for opportunities to utilise and amend regulations to ensure health concerns are incorporated into planning decisions.
- Regulatory and law options to advance obesity prevention policy: A report prepared by UWA law school with Cancer Council WA a member of the advisory board, funded by Healthway.
Published Blogs
Submissions
- Western Australian Inquiry into the most effective ways to address food insecurity for children and young people affected by poverty – Cancer Council WA Submission.
- Review of the Food Standards Australia New Zealand Act 1991 Public Health and Consumer organisations call for food regulatory reform to put the health of Australian and New Zealanders first
- Review of Food Act 2008 (WA)
- Draft National Obesity Prevention Policy
- Local development plan Parkland Heights Baldivis objection to two drive-through fast-food outlets with a residential estate.
Articles
- Perth Football Club seeks to appoint a Hungry Jacks Engagement Officer to promote the junk food brand in schools. A Croakey article describes how the junk food industry uses sporting endorsements to work around weak regulations and target school students.
- Buckethead given the OK to advertise KFC to children at Big Bash Cricket games. Cancer Council WA reflect on the disappointing outcome from an Ad Standard complaint in a blog published on Parents’ Voice.
- An epidemic of junk food marketing: A Croakey article examining the junk food and quick service industry capitalisation on COVID-19 during lockdowns.
News and Media Releases
- 4 May 2022 Now is the time to protect children from junk food advertising.
- 1 Feb 2023 Sport is no place for junk food and drink marketing. Let’s get Junk food out of cricket
- 5 August 2021 WA health experts say junk food and sugary drink sponsorships have no place in sport.
- 11 June 2021 Cancer Council WA welcomes State Government funding: Continuing our work in partnership with the Telethon Kids Institute on our policy related research into healthy eating and the impact of junk food advertising.
- 8 July 2020 Cancer Council WA partners with Telethon Kids Institute: Cancer Council WA has partnered with Telethon Kids Institute to receive funding from Healthway to deliver a Rapid Obesity Policy Translation Project.
Obesity Policy Review newsletter
The Obesity Policy Review is a monthly newsletter that aims to update the community on the latest obesity policy news, research and advocacy being undertaken.
-
- Obesity Policy Review – January 2024 Edition
- Obesity Policy Review – February 2024 Edition
- Obesity Policy Review – December 2023 Edition
- Obesity Policy Review – November 2023 Edition
- Obesity Policy Review – October 2023 Edition
- Obesity Policy Review – September 2023 Edition
- Obesity Policy Review – August 2023 Edition
- Obesity Policy Review – July 2023 Edition
- Obesity Policy Review – June 2023 Edition
- Obesity Policy Review – May 2023 Edition
- Obesity Policy Review – April 2023 Edition
- Obesity Policy Review – March 2023 Edition
- Obesity Policy Review – February 2023 Edition
- Obesity Policy Review – January 2023 Edition
- Obesity Policy Review – December 2022 Edition
- Obesity Policy Review – November 2022 Edition
- Obesity Policy Review – October 2022 Edition
- Obesity Policy Review – September 2022 Edition
- Obesity Policy Review – August 2022 Edition
- Obesity Policy Review – July 2022 Edition
- Obesity Policy Review – June 2022 Edition
- Obesity Policy Review – May 2022 Edition
- Obesity Policy Review – April 2022 Edition
- Obesity Policy Review – March 2022 Edition
- Obesity Policy Review – February 2022 Edition
- Obesity Policy Review – January 2022 Edition