Obesity News 171
Obesity News is FOE’s regular round-up of news relating to obesity-prevention from around the world.
The latest issue has news of a fat tax debate on TV3 and many other stories.
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NEWS
NZ: Clamp on soda ban irks obesity experts
“Academic says blocking of New York mayor’s bid to limit size of sugary drinks shows power of food industry.”
FOE’s Dr Robyn Toomath and Auckland University’s Professor Boyd Swinburn comment a New York supreme court decision to overturn Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s ban on large size soft drinks.
Read more: NZ Herald, 15 Mar 2013
NZ: Doctor calls for Government action on fruit, vege prices
FOE’s Dr Robyn Toomath says the “tragically” high fruit and vegetable prices need to be forced down, and junk food prices need to hit consumers in the pocket.
Read more about healthy food prices: NZ Herald, 17 Feb 2013
NZ: Food, fizzy, and football: unhealthy food and drink promoted through sport
Otago University researchers found that some junk food and drink companies also sponsor popular, televised sports in New Zealand. They say:
“Our children deserve to be protected from the pressure to eat junk food while enjoying healthy outdoor activity, and parents need to be supported against pester advertising in their efforts to promote healthy eating to their children.”
They also note it would be a logical step for the Health Promotion Agency to include replacement of junk food sponsorship in their mandate.
Read more about junk food sports sponsorship: University of Otago, 13 Feb 2013
Read the research about junk food sports sponsorship, BMC Public Health, 11 Feb 2013
Obesity News 170
Obesity News is FOE’s regular round-up of news relating to obesity-prevention from around the world.
Obesity News 169
Obesity News is FOE’s regular round-up of news relating to obesity-prevention from around the world.
This issue includes lots of news about campaigns to reduce sugar consumption and reaction from Coca-Cola.
NZ: Kiwis ‘need to exercise more’
A worrying number of New Zealanders don’t exercise enough, according to a survey by Southern Cross Health.
FOE’s Dr Robyn Toomath comments on why it is hard to exercise – time pressure – and makes suggestions for fitting exercise into everyday life.
Read more about the physical activity survey: DomPost/Stuff, 10 Jan 2013
Obesity News 168
Obesity News is FOE’s regular round-up of news relating to obesity-prevention from around the world.
This issue includes updates on front-of-pack labelling and health claims in Australia and New Zealand and the results of NZ’s latest health survey.
NZ front of pack labelling advisory group reports to government
A government-appointed advisory group with both food industry and nutrition membership has completed its business. The group was established as the NZ response for the decision by Australian and NZ ministers to explore the development of a voluntary interpretive front of pack nutrition labelling scheme other than traffic lights.
Their report sets out principles for a scheme which, apart from the voluntary aspect, would be acceptable to many public health advocates. The report also outlines steps for developing and implementing a scheme in NZ. This, however, is most unlikely. The principles are compatible with the work on a star system in Australia.
FOE expects the NZ Government will await the Australian outcome and will not attempt to develop a NZ scheme.
If our Australian colleagues are successful in negotiating a satisfactory outcome to their process then it is likely we will be urging the NZ Government to support the Australian scheme. While the scheme will be voluntary in that manufacturers may choose not to use it, the outcome sought is that they will not be able to use alternative systems.
Read the Final Report: NZ front of pack labelling advisory group (pdf)
NZ: Latest health survey released
The latest National Health Survey provides a snapshot of the health of New Zealand health and how it has changed over time. Results show obesity is continuing to increase in children and adults:
“The child obesity rate has increased from 8% in 2006/07, to 10% in 2011/12 (in children aged 2–14 years). A further 21% of children were overweight (but not obese). 28% of adults were obese in 2011/12 – up from 26% in 2006/07.”
Professor Tony Blakely of Otago University is one of many people shocked by the findings.
“I’m shocked by the latest figures on child obesity which show an increase rates from 8% in 2006/7 to 11% in 2011/12, and in particular the extreme inequalities that we now have in New Zealand.”
Read more about the survey:
Health of NZ Adults – key findings
Health of NZ Children – key findings
Read more about the survey: Ministry of Health media release, 12 Dec 2012
Science Media Centre’s analysis,13 Dec 2012
Otago University press release, 12 Dec 2012
Australia: Breakthrough on food labelling
There has been a breakthrough agreement between public health groups and the food industry in Australia on food labelling.
They support a voluntary star-rating front-of-pack nutrition labelling system. This follows government rejection of a traffic light system. The agreed system should make healthy food choices easier.
The agreement emerged from a working group established in response to Labelling Logic, the report of the Review of Food Labelling Law and Policy.
The Australian working group (unlike a similar government-appointed group in New Zealand dominated by the food industry) includes strong public health representation including Michael Moore from the Public Health Association and Jane Martin from the Obesity Policy Coalition.
Assuming the Australian group satisfactorily resolves a number of outstanding issues, FOE believes this will provide public health advocates in New Zealand with a powerful case for arguing we follow Australia’s lead.
Read more about this story and watch the replay, (ABC 28 Nov 2012)
Star system for food labelling – transcript (ABC LateLine, 27 Nov 2012)
New star system considered for food labelling (AusFood News 29 Nov 2012)
Obesity News 167
Obesity News is FOE’s regular round-up of news relating to obesity-prevention from around the world.
Denmark scraps fat tax
Denmark has repealed the world’s first fat tax, just over a year after it became law. The tax was charged on foods high in saturated fats and was heavily criticised for increasing prices for consumers and companies, and for putting Danish jobs at risk. Consumers were crossing the border to buy cheaper goods.
The government has also cancelled a similar levy on sugar content.
Farmers, retailers and shoppers reportedly whooped with joy when the tax was abolished.
There is debate about whether it has been scrapped for political reasons rather than lack of effectiveness.
US nutritionist Marion Nestle told New Scientist the real reason the Danish tax was dropped was to appease business interests:
One lesson learned was that small countries with cross-borders can’t raise prices unless their neighbours do too. “But the greater lesson is that any attempt to encourage people to eat less will encounter fierce food-industry opposition. Eating less is bad for business.”
Writing in The Conversation, Deakin University’s Dr Gary Sacks says the “fat tax” wasn’t evaluated for its effectiveness, and may have been scrapped for political reasons rather than lack of effectiveness.
NZ: Food labelling system likely to be so watered down it offers little to shoppers
Next month, a working group is expected to report back to the government on their preferred option for a new food labelling system – one that helps consumers identify healthy or unhealthy food at a glance.
An opinion piece in the Dominion Post by former Green MP Sue Kedgley looks at progress.
Papers she saw, using the Official Information Act, show that progress has been slow. She says that any scheme is unlikely to be effective:
“All in all, it looks as if any new scheme the Government recommends will be a far cry from a simple traffic light system on all foods, which consumers, and the expert panel that reviewed our food labels, favour.”
Read more: Dominion Post/Stuff, 20 Nov 2012
NZ: Health ticks on sugary bars ‘deceptive’
A sugar-laden muesli bar endorsed by the Heart Foundation is deceptive, a Wellington father complained to the Commerce Commission.
“If the labelling was not so deceiving, and it was correctly filed in the confectionary section, I would not have purchased it,” he told the Dominion Post.
The Commerce Commission says it won’t be investigating the complaint.
Read more: Dominion Post/Stuff, 8 Nov 2012
Australia: Changes to junk food TV ads don’t go far enough
Changes to voluntary industry codes in Australia mean junk food will not be promoted during television programmes that attract at least 35 per cent of children.
The current industry code applies to programmes with a child audience of 50 per cent.
Children will still be flooded with unhealthy food ads. Their favourite shows such as The X-Factor, Big Brother and Junior MasterChef are watched by many adults. Obesity Policy Coalition’s Jane Martin warns:
“It does not go far enough to reduce exposure because it won’t actually pick up programmes that are watched by the greatest number of children overall.”
Read more: Herald Sun, 2 Nov 2012
UK to get hybrid front of pack food labels – including traffic lights
Two months ago Tesco, the UK’s largest supermarket chain, announced they would add traffic lights to their Guideline Daily Allowance nutrition labels.
Events have moved fast since then. The other major supermarkets followed suit.
The UK government is now backing a hybrid food labelling system that combines traffic lights, guideline daily amounts – which research has shown many consumers find baffling – and the words high, medium or low to describe certain ingredients.
It will be working with industry and other partners to agree on the detail of the system and to make sure they use consistent visuals. The scheme is expected to come into effect from the middle of 2013.
Meanwhile, New Zealand and Australia are awaiting the outcome of Front-of-pack labelling advisory groups that were appointed to advise what sort of front-of-pack labelling system to support. More information about this is expected in December.
Read more about the new UK food labels
Hybrid system for food labelling given green light (Dept of Health)
Consumers will be able to make healthier choices about the food they eat with the introduction of a new, consistent system of front of pack labelling, Health Minister Anna Soubry announced today.
All supermarkets to adopt ‘traffic-light labelling’ for nutrition (The Guardian)
All major supermarkets will finally adopt a version of “traffic-light labelling” to help end confusion about which are the healthiest and unhealthiest foods.
UK Dept of Health to press ahead with ‘hybrid’ nutrition labelling (Lexology)
Explains the significance of the new food labelling plan and how it came about.
New hybrid system for food labelling – in quotes (Food Manufacture)
Provides a snapshot of different views on the food labelling plan.
NZ: Government dragging feet over mandatory ‘traffic light’ labelling
Last year the Australian and New Zealand governments agreed to develop a simple, interpretive front-of-pack labelling system to help consumers work out whether food is healthy or not.
Former Green MP Sue Kedgley says the New Zealand government has been very secretive about this while the Australian Government has conducted an open consultation process. She is concerned the two governments won’t make a decision in December, as promised.
In the face of fierce food industry resistance, I predict they will kick for touch and come out with some vague, voluntary system that won’t help consumers choose healthy food, she says.
Read more: NZ Herald, 30 Oct 2012
Obesity News 166
Obesity News is FOE’s regular round-up of news relating to obesity-prevention from around the world.
Obesity News 165
Obesity News is FOE’s regular round-up of news relating to obesity-prevention from around the world.
Denmark: Scrapping fat tax on agenda
Less than one year after introducing a ‘fat tax’ on fatty foods, the Danish government is proposing to drop it. They are expected to recoup the money by increasing income tax.
Anti-fat tax campaigners say Danes are going to Germany, Holland or Sweden to buy fatty products more cheaply and this is threatening Danish jobs.
Read more: Food Navigator, 30 Aug 2012
Blogger Alberto Alemanno summarises events leading up to the decision and says “Unfortunately, politics rather than an evidence-based policy assessment loom behind such an outcome.”
Obesity News 164
Obesity News is FOE’s regular round-up of news relating to obesity-prevention from around the world.
UK: Tesco joins rivals in using traffic light food labelling
Giant food retailer Tesco says their customers want both Guideline Daily Allowance (GDA) and colour-coded consumption advice on their food labels. So they are adopting both.
Read more: The Independent, 23 Aug 2012
NZ: Move to ban fast-food advertising on city streets
Auckland Regional Public Health is seeking support from the Auckland and Waitemata district health boards for a healthy food environment policy.
Health officials worried about the obesity epidemic want to focus on healthy eating. One proposal is dropping fast-food advertising from public property – including bus shelters. They are also questioning fast-food and soft-drink sponsorship of public events.
Read more: NZ Herald, 6 Aug 2012
Obesity News 163
Obesity News is FOE’s regular round-up of news relating to obesity-prevention from around the world.
UK: Why food ‘traffic-light’ labels did not happen
Britain came close to adopting a traffic-light system of compulsory food labelling to grade the health impact of food products – but opposition from within the food industry prevented it happening.
Some supermarkets and food manufacturers do have traffic lights on their food packets, but this is voluntary.
Traffic-light labelling tends to make foods healthier as companies tried to avoid having too many red traffic lights.
Read more: BBC News, 11 July 2012
UK: Junk food sponsorship of Olympics questioned
Call to end junk food sponsors from future sporting events
A growing body of organisations are calling for companies whose products are associated with obesity, such as high fat, high calorific and sugar filled drinks, to be excluded from sponsorship of sporting events. These voices include the London Assembly and eminent voices in the medical profession, who understand the extent and cost of childhood obesity.
Could this call mark the start of a process similar to that of the tobacco advertising and sponsorship ban in the early 90s?
Read more: Huffington Post, 13 July 2012
Are junk food brands fit to sponsor the Olympics?
The International Olympic Committee is questioning the sponsorship of brands like McDonald’s amid concerns about global obesity.
IOC president told the Financial Times that the financial demands of the Olympics makes it harder to for the IOC “to hold on to its long-cherished values, which include taking care of one’s health.” Weighing up the financial support of these sponsors versus public health interests has been a “difficult decision” for the Committee.
The Public Health Assoc of Australia has no such qualms. They say a whole range of things need to be done to reduce obesity, including separating junk food from sport.
We agree.
Read more about junk food sponsorship of the Olympics: News.com 9 July 2012
Update:
Rogge clarifies ‘obesity’ comments on sponsors
The International Olympic Committee issued public backing of its Games sponsors Coca-Cola and McDonald’s today, a day after President Jacques Rogge was quoted as saying there was a “question mark” over their sponsorship due to obesity concerns.
Read more: Stuff, 11 July 2012
NZ: Trans-Pacific Partnership and junk food
FOE is taking a close interest in the Trans-Pacific Partnership Free Trade Agreement (TPP) currently being negotiated. This is because of fears that the agreement might restrict New Zealand’s ability to regulate unhealthy products, including junk food.
We aren’t confident the current government shares our view as to what is ‘legitimate’ in regulating business activity to protect public health.
TPP in the media
Secrecy in investment talks mock democracy
Professor Jane Kelsey says a leaked TTP chapter allows overseas investors to seek compensation if government regulation substantially affects the value or profitability of an investment. Local investors won’t have that power. “Most discussion of constraints on the government’s right to regulate has centred on tobacco controls. But a raft of other policies could also prompt investor complaints.”
Read more: NZ Herald, 20 June 2012
New TPP Leaked Text: National Says ‘Yes’ to Investor Rights to Sue
Professor Jane Kelsey summarises the contents of a leaked TTP negotiation chapter, saying it “confirms that National has agreed to let foreign investors … sue New Zealand for damages in private offshore tribunals, claiming that new laws or policies breach their rights under the agreement”.
Read more: Press release, Professor Jane Kelsey/Scoop, 14 June 2012
Trade deal claims a ‘beat up’ – Groser
Trade Minister Tim Groser says the New Zealand Government will not sign any agreement that stops us now or any government in the future from regulating for public health and other legitimate policy purposes. .
Read more: NZ Herald, 14 June 2012
Gordon Campbell on the Trans Pacific Partnership leaks
“The leaked document confirms the worst fears about the TPP talks.”
Read more: Scoop, 14 June 2012
Not so far-fetched after all – investors rights to sue are on
This website has links to TTP news.
Read more: NZ Not for Sale website,
Food, Farmers and the TPP
PhD student Andrea Brower argues that New Zealand has a lot to lose if TTP goes ahead, including the ability to regulate the financial sector and tobacco laws.
Read more: Andrea Brower/Scoop, 3 June 2012
Australia: Food health claims may be left to self-regulation
Australia’s billion-dollar grocery industry may have derailed a proposal requiring all health claims on packaged food to be substantiated before they are allowed on the market.
Read more: The Age, 9 July 2012
Obesity News 162
Obesity News is FOE’s regular round-up of news relating to obesity-prevention from around the world.
NZ: Kiwis ‘like’ junkfood on Facebook
Do you “like” food sites on Facebook – the ones with freebies, giveaways and discounts? If so, you aren’t alone. According to a survey by Social Media.org, burger, chocolate, pizza and sugary drinks make up eight of the 15 most liked New Zealand business brands on Facebook.
Notably, alcohol and tobacco brands didn’t rate. Facebook has to abide by our laws and regulation.
FOE’s Robyn Toomath comments.
Read more: Stuff, 17 June 2012
Obesity News 161
Obesity News is FOE’s regular round-up of news relating to obesity-prevention from around the world.
US: TV Ads Linked to Unhealthy Diets in Young Adults
Fast food and alcohol advertising on television have a negative influence on young people’s weight and underage drinking, researchers say.
Read more: MedPage Today, 29 April 2012
US: How Washington went soft on childhood obesity
“In the political arena, one side is winning the war on child obesity. The side with the fattest wallets.”
An excellent piece on how the US government is influenced by agressive lobbying from the food and beverage industries.
Read more: Reuters, 27 April 2012
Obesity News 160
Obesity News is FOE’s regular round-up of news relating to obesity-prevention from around the world.
NZ: ANZ Obesity Society Conference, October 2012
Aucland is hosting Australia NZ Obesity Society’s annual scientific meeting this October. Early bird registration now open.
Obesity News 159
Obesity News is FOE’s regular round-up of obesity-prevention news from around the world.
US: Effectiveness of Front of Package Food Labelling Systems
The British Multiple Traffic Light front-of-package labelling system has red, yellow, and green symbols. They show which foods to eat sparingly, in moderation, or freely. A new review shows this system best helps consumers identify healthier products.
Read the research: Public Health Nutrition, Online 7 Feb 2012 (PDF)
Read more about the research: Rudd Radar, 9 Apr 2012
NZ: Milo diverts attention to physical activity in new marketing campaign
Milo PLAY Movement
A report commissioned by food manufacturer Nestle Milo has been getting a lot of media coverage recently. It claims to show that “nearly 1 in 2 (46%) children don’t play every day.”
The report is so shoddy that it doesn’t even give the question asked to obtain this finding, let alone say whether it was the children, parents or grandparents included in the survey who provided the data.
This is part of a clever marketing campaign by Nestle Milo. They are “calling for New Zealand families to come together and incorporate active play into each and every day” and have also launched a Facebook page where they claim to be “the official drink of play”.
While we totally support kids being involved in active, unstructured play, we would be more excited if Nestle Milo, as a food company, addressed food issues and the amount of sugar in its products, rather than focusing on physical activity. After all:
- Milo “energy food drink” is 46 percent sugar. And – another physical activity connection – it’s sponsored by NZ Cricket (source: Robin’s pantry);
- children’s breakfast cereal Nestle Milo is 27.2% sugar (source: Supermarket packet).
Read ‘The New Zealand State of Play report’
Some of the media coverage
Milo positions itself as the official drink of play in new ‘Play Movement’ campaign
Creative advertising trade magazine Campaign Brief outlines Milo’s new campaign and asks readers to vote if they think it is a clever strategy by Milo.
Source: Campaign Brief.co.nz, 12 Mar 2012
Kids miss out on vital play time
Source: NZ Herald, 12 March 2012
NZ: State to trim fat by targeting mums-to–be in obesity battle
State to target mums-to-be
The government is set to reduce funding for adult nutrition programmes and will instead target pregnant women to tackle the obesity crisis.
FOE says: nothing wrong in targeting future mums, but again the focus is on ineffective education rather than changing the food environment to make healthy choices easier.
Read more: Dominion Post/Stuff, 10 Mar 2012
Fat, fate and disease – giving up on a generation?
Green Party MP, Kevin Hague, comments on the proposed changes to nutrition funding by the Ministry of Health. He has three strong arguments for continuing to fund existing nutrition programmes as well as targeting parents-to-be.
Read more: Green Party Frogblog, 13 March 2012
Obesity News 158
Obesity News is FOE’s regular round-up of obesity-prevention news from around the world.
Australian and NZ stakeholders divided on nutrition labelling
Nutrition Labelling: Australia NZ highlight stakeholder division
This ‘management briefing’ looks at the debate between industry, government and campaigners in Australia and New Zealand on what to put on front-of-pack nutrition labels.
Read more: Just Food, 1 Mar 2012
NZ: Fat List: 49 foods to avoid
Otago University researchers have put together a list of 49 foods that are heavy on calories but light on nutrition. The list is for health practitioners who provide advice to overweight or obese patients.
Read more: NZ Herald, 24 Feb 2012
Read the press release from Otago University, 24 Feb 2012
Read the article in the NZ Medical Journal, 24 Feb 2012
NZ: Foods we needn’t eat
Media Release
Fight the Obesity Epidemic (FOE)
24 February 2012
Foods we needn’t eat
“The NEEDNT food list compiled by University of Otago researchers has great potential,” says Dr Robyn Toomath, spokesperson for Fight the Obesity Epidemic (FOE).
“The list shows that a large proportion of the products sold in supermarkets and convenience stores, and virtually everything at fast food outlets, is actually NEEDNT food – non-essential, energy dense, nutritionally deficient junk food. It is precisely these foods that are so much at the heart of the obesity epidemic in New Zealand, which is threatening to cripple the health system.”
“Using a nutrition assessment tool to identify foods such as the ones on this list is a logical way of identifying produce which should be banned for advertising to children, and subject to extra tax,” Dr Toomath says. “These aren’t just foods we needn’t eat, they’re foods we shouldn’t eat more than occasionally. The Government must do much more to help people avoid NEEDNT foods.”
The NEEDNT food list has just been published in the New Zealand Medical Journal.
Australia and NZ: Call for submissions on draft nutrition and health claims standard
Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has called for submissions on its draft nutrition, health and related claims Standard.
It says the proposed new standard would regulate voluntary statements made by manufacturers on labels about the nutrition content of a food, or a relationship between a food and health.
Submissions close on 16 March.
Read the FSANZ media release: 17 Feb 2012
‘Fat-free’ foods fail the test
More than 100 food products, ranging from breakfast cereals to lollies making ”fat-free” claims, fail to provide acceptable levels of nutrition, official food regulator Food Standards Australia New Zealand says.
It is calling for measures to control nutrition and health claims on Australian and New Zealand food.
Read more: Sydney Morning Herald, 17 Feb 2012
Obesity News 157
Obesity News is FOE’s regular round-up of obesity-prevention news from around the world.
Obesity News 156
Obesity News is FOE’s regular round-up of obesity-prevention news from around the world.