With nearly 1.4 million kids under the age of 12 online it’s no wonder Australia’s biggest food brands use the net to spread their message. And they’re really good at it.
Childhood obesity
healthcare 
Does Australia have the guts to tackle childhood obesity?
Australian governments have not had the guts to tackle junk food advertising and its contribution to childhood obesity, according to a new paper from the Parliamentary Library. Those aren’t exactly their words but it’s very much the impression it leaves, writes Melissa Sweet.
Where’s the F word … err fructose … in healthy thinking debate?
Overweight children eat more and exercise less because they are fat, not the other way round, and the Queensland government’s Smart Choices initiative will do nothing to change that.
Any sport in a storm: Coates and Co cop a reality check
At a moment when we’ve just emerged from recession, when childhood obesity in Australia is at an all-time high and when some state schools have little or no sporting equipment — let alone PE teachers — David Crawford’s report into Olympic funding couldn’t have come at a better time.
Fruit juice: it’s not as healthy as you’d think
In fact, it’s not healthy at all, say experts: it’s full of sugar and calories, offers relatively little nutritional value, and is likely contributing to the obesity epidemic. Yep, even the 100% stuff.
Selling our kids to McDonald’s
McDonald’s has pulled off a huge marketing coups by signing up more than 230,000 NSW students to its maths tutoring program. Dr Rosemary Stanton, Jane Martin and Professor Elizabeth Waters weigh-in on whether the whole scheme undermines the government’s rhetoric on tackling childhood obesity.
All this nagging, Nicola, isn’t making us thin
Health Minister Nicola Roxon thinks we’re too fat, smoke too much and drink too much. But don’t worry, she’s got a solution: she’s going to nag us to death instead. Even if research suggests it won’t work.
TV: it’ll make your blood boil
Your mum was right: watching too much TV is bad for you. New research shows it significantly raises the blood pressure of children, regardless of weight.
Your Say: Daily Mail readers' feedback: Qantas responds to Crikey about inflight news censoring
Qantas does not seek to influence Channel Nine’s on air content. We do exercise this right of veto for items we believe may distress or offend our passengers, writes Michael Freedman.
Your Say: Daily Mail readers' feedback: Are ads making kids fat? Readers weigh in
Readers bicker over whether junk food ads are really making kids fat, and Gerard Henderson writes in about Bob Ellis.
Exercise will do Queensland kids a fat lot of good
The thinking behind a new QLD education policy is obviously that if our kids can’t be smart at least they’ll be thin, writes David Gillespie.
The Coca-Cola Chronicles: Big Sugar drops the other shoe
Coca-Cola’s hope is that by showing what terribly good corporate citizens they are, they’ll head the Parliamentary Obesity enquiry and ACMA off at the pass, writes David Gillespie.
Free TV: no link between advertising and obese kids
There is no evidence of a causal link between advertising and childhood obesity, writes Julie Flynn of Free TV Australia.
New UK report challenges Australia’s approach to obesity
Obesity, especially childhood obesity, has received increasing public attention in the last couple of years. A recently released report from the UK Government’s Foresight Programme provides a fresh approach to thinking about obesity, and a varied set of solutions to dealing with it.
Childhood obesity isn’t cartoon simple
It’s probably time to stop the argument, but in my own defence (to Dr Stephen Downes piece), I have never said that any single action will “remedy childhood obesity”. Obesity is a multifactorial problem.
Fat kids and fairytales: the sequel
As a parent, I’m very concerned about childhood obesity. But when it comes to the role of Shrek in childhood obesity, perhaps it’s time we sorted the ogres from the donkeys, writes Dr Stephen Downes.
Don’t ban Shrek, ban Emily’s List
Labor leader Kevin Rudd seemed less than enthusiastic about his health spokesperson Nicola Roxon’s war on fast food ads when he spoke to the meeja yesterday
What the Shrek is the deal with this junk food ban?
Q: What does Kevin Rudd have in common with Lord Farquaad?
A: Just like the angry and diminutive cartoon character, Mr Rudd would like to see Shrek banished from the magic kingdom. According to media reports today, a Rudd Labor government would ban the use of licensed characters like Shrek to market food and drinks to children as part of a plan to tackle childhood obesity.
