Not lovin’ it: Fast food ads driving childhood obesity

West Australian children are relentlessly targeted by fast food marketing at school, at sporting events and on their screens creating an environment “stacked against their health”.

New research by Cancer Council WA found fast food brands have a pervasive presence in communities, ensuring that the food and drinks they sell are the most available, accessible, promoted, and recognised by children.

It found just five fast food brands account for over 50% of the Australian fast food and takeaway market, with McDonald’s alone holding more than 20% of the market.

It comes at a time when childhood obesity levels are on the rise, with around one in four children in WA considered overweight or obese.  

Dietician Isabelle Fedele from Better Health Company told Medical Forum that the accessibility, convenience and exposure to fast foods creates a challenge for many families. She encouraged GPs to take this into account in their conversations around children's diet and weight.

“It's not just about telling someone to eat better and move more, GPs really need to acknowledge the bigger picture of what's going on because people's lives are complex and for families it's even more complex," she said.

"There's cost of living pressures, there’s factors around where you're located and whether you're exposed to these advertisements, busy work schedules, cultural and social and family norms that all are contributing to people's choices."

Ms Fedelle said behaviour change needed to be supported as part of these conversations.

“It’s about looking at broader social determinants of health, what is influencing this person to make these health choices and habits. How can you work with the patient, whether it's a family or an adult, to overcome these barriers to making healthier choices,” she said.

Ms Fedelle acknowledged that talking about weight was often sensitive for parents. She said in many cases, if a child's weight was a factor, GPs could have these conversations without even bringing up weight or without measuring a child.

"Try focussing on conversations about healthy eating patterns and enjoyable movement, sleep and stress and mental wellbeing without going down the path of bringing up weight and a number on the scales," she said.

“The priority is how doctors approach the conversation - that is what really matters and that is done by using a non-judgmental approach.

“We know that weight stigma can cause a lot of harm - the effects of weight stigma can be just as damaging to health and wellbeing in the long term as living with obesity or being overweight - and it's linked to lots of complex mental health and eating disorders.”

Ms Fedelle said that meant focusing on ensuring the words used did not inflict a sense of guilt or blame on parents and carers or trigger internalising shame for the children.

Cancer Council WA Food and Movement Programs Manager Ainslie Sartori said major fast food brands operate almost 450 outlets across WA, locating them near homes, schools, and workplaces.

“The fast food giants make sure their foods are highly accessible, many open 24/7, with breakfast, all-day menus, and delivery apps making it easier than ever to order,” she said.

She said fast food giants were using their financial power to “push their products down our throats” to make even greater profits.

Cancer Council WA called on the state government to implement the recommendations in the Sustainable Health Review Final Report 2019 to restrict unhealthy food and drink advertising on government-owned assets, reform planning laws to limit new fast food outlets near schools and introduce standards to reduce exposure to unhealthy brands through sports sponsorships.