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South Australia Plans Ban on Ads for Unhealthy Food
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The ban would lead to advertisements being taken down from public transportation.
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Items such as processed meats and sweets are included.
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South Australia
is proceeding with a fresh prohibition on ads for unhealthful foods and beverages, encompassing products such as sweets all the way to ordinary ham sandwiches, which will now be subject to limitations.
The ban, which comes into effect on July 1, will prohibit ads for unhealthy food and beverage products on
Adelaide
‘s public transport network – including buses, trains, and trams.
Banned items include processed meats such as ham and salami, burgers, pizza, lollies, chocolate, soft drinks, and other confectionery.
According to the present categorization guidelines, even enriched soy milk is classified as a sugary drink and thus will be prohibited. However, jam is permitted, whereas rice cakes are not.
This initiative aims to reduce children’s contact with advertisements for unhealthful foods and beverages.
However, as reported to Daily Mail Australia by mother-of-two Angelina, the restriction seemed foolish since fast-food businesses were still able to advertise their products to children through television.
YouTube
.
“If I prepare a sandwich with ham for my kids, it typically also has cheese, lettuce, and cucumber,” Angelina mentioned.
‘I’ve never had my children see an advertisement featuring ham and ask me to purchase it for them.’
‘They end up begging me to buy fast food after they see ads from places like McDonald’s, KFC and Hungry Jacks. That’s the real problem.’
The Australian Association of National Advertisers claims that the ban is unwarranted.
‘The current policy prohibits all processed meats, so even something as basic as a ham salad sandwich cannot be promoted,’ stated AANA CEO Josh Faulks.
This just doesn’t add up, and the government ought to focus on choices backed by scientific evidence rather than sweeping prohibitions that contradict nutritional research.
It also warns that charities and businesses could be negatively impacted by the ban.
‘The policy bans all advertising showing those banned food or drink items,’ Mr Faulks said.
‘For example, an ad celebrating the anniversary of a children’s charity which depicts a child with a birthday cake would be banned.
Health Minister Chris Picton hit out at AANA’s stance, claiming the body was ‘scaremongering’.
‘These lobbyists want to force the State Government to keep having junk food ads on our own buses amidst an obesity crisis,’ Mr Picton told Newswire.
The policy covers government-operated Adelaide Metro buses, trains, and trams.
‘The responsibility does not lie with advertising industry lobbyists to determine what appears on our public transit vehicles.’
Upon announcing the policy, Mr. Picton stated that children were inundated with advertisements for unhealthy foods and beverages, which have consistently been acknowledged to adversely affect their eating habits.
‘Mr Picton stated that every year, major corporations invest substantial sums of money into creating attractive slogans and compelling advertisements aimed at motivating South Australian kids to increase their intake of heavily processed foods that are rich in fats, salts, and sugars.’
Prohibiting these advertisements in the primary locations where they frequently appear, particularly for children, is a prudent measure toward fostering a healthier South Australia.
Early-life food behaviors and relational patterns significantly influence an adult’s dietary habits and overall health results.
The prohibition has likewise received support from several groups such as Preventive Health SA and the Cancer Council.
Official statistics showed that 35.2 percent of children and 63.1 percent of adults in South Australia were overweight or obese.
Modelling also indicated that if no action was taken the number of South Australians that were overweight or living with obesity was expected to grow by an additional 1,900 children and 48,000 adults in the next five years.
Lauren Ball, Professor of Community Health and Wellbeing at The University of Queensland, previously warned parents about the health risks of too much ham
‘Ham alone does not classify as junk food. It provides a good source of protein along with various other nutrients.’
Nevertheless, particular kinds of ham items — particularly those that undergo extensive processing or curing — represent poorer health choices due to various factors.
‘Numerous store-bought ham products, particularly those that are heavily processed and cured, often contain a significant amount of sodium, essentially salt.’
‘Elevated consumption of sodium has been linked to various health problems including hypertension and may elevate the chances of developing cardiovascular diseases and suffering from strokes.’
‘on average, kids Down Under take in more salt than they should, with the suggested maximum being 600 mg per day for children between four and eight years old, and 800 mg daily for those from nine to thirteen.
The World Health Organization states that decreasing sodium intake is among the most economical methods for countries to enhance public health.
She cautioned that some processed hams might include additives, preservatives, and flavor enhancers that we should cut back on.
The techniques used for processing and curing ham might include smoking, which could generate substances like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Consuming high amounts of these compounds could pose health risks, potentially elevating the likelihood of developing bowel cancer.
She recommended to Australians that when picking ham, they should check the labels and opt for items with reduced sodium levels, few additives, and more healthful processing techniques.
In 2019, the Cancer Council caused an uproar when they advised parents not to include items such as muesli bars, ham sandwiches, and savory biscuits in their children’s school lunches.
The Cancer Council released a list of ‘unhealthy snacks,’ which included muffins, biscuits, cheese spreads with crackers, and fruit boxes as items that families should refrain from purchasing at grocery stores.
Rather than opting for a store-bought muesli bar, the organization recommended that parents create a homemade alternative, or perhaps prepare some zucchini, broccoli, and cheese hashbrown cups – these consist of shredded hash browns shaped into cups and then baked, filled with an assortment of ingredients.
Other choices for a piece of cake were fruit loaf and pumpkin and sweet potato scones.
Instead of fruit juice, options like milk or water were recommended, and when it came to a packet of cookies, parents were advised to think about offering their children pita bread with roasted vegetable spread or veggie muffins.
Parents were advised to opt for popcorn or roasted chickpeas instead of a bag of chips as an alternative snack option.
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