Analysis of the 'Protecting Children from Junk Food Advertising' Bill

This report provides an overview of the 'Protecting Children from Junk Food Advertising' Bill, focusing on its potential effects on existing legislation and associated codes. The bill aims to restrict junk food advertising, particularly during children's television programs and on social media, due to the direct link between such advertising and child health issues. The report examines the bill's provisions, including defining healthy and unhealthy foods, and limitations on advertising practices. It further explores the potential impact of junk food consumption on children's health, both in the short term and long term, including obesity, digestive problems, and other health concerns. The report references relevant sources and highlights the Australian government's monitoring of the issue, emphasizing the importance of self-regulatory regimes in addressing this public health challenge.

PROTECTING CHILDREN
FROM JUNK FOOD
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Overview of the Bill
• Advertisement of junk food directly linked with child health
will not be promoted.
• Marketing junk food on the social media is also not allowed.
• Normal messages or SMS regarding the same to a person
having child will be considered as a crime.
• Television channel that has a subscription licence must not
promote any advertisement related to unhealthy eating habit
(Parlinfo.aph.gov.au, 2019).

Effect of the bill on existing legislation
• The minister must provide definition of healthy food and unhealthy food
within six months of passing the bill.
• The amendment puts on a limitation on the telecasting services to promote
advertisement of junk food (Pettigrew et al., 2019).
• It accentuates the worth of the self-regulatory regime from the perspective
of Australian people.
• Australian government is directly monitoring this issue.

Effect of Junk food on child health
• Long term effect – Eating junk food can result into serious
long time life risk such as obesity and depression for
children also (Rausch, 2013).
• Short term effect – For short term effect a child can suffer
from digestive issues and gastronomical problems.
• Others – Obesity is enough to raise other health problems
among the students. Apart from the long term and short
term effects there are some other harmful issues that a
child may suffer from. The list includes shortness of
memory, loss of appetite, and uncontrollable craving for
sugar intakes (Malhotra, Noakes & Phinney, 2015)

References
Malhotra, A., Noakes, T., & Phinney, S. (2015). It is time to bust the myth of
physical inactivity and obesity: you cannot outrun a bad diet. Retrieved
from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2015-094911
Parlinfo.aph.gov.au. (2019). ParlInfo - Basic Search. Retrieved 28 August
2019, from https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au
Pettigrew, S., Tarabashkina, L., Roberts, M., Quester, P., Chapman, K., &
Miller, C. (2013). The effects of television and Internet food advertising on
parents and children. Public health nutrition, 16(12), 2205-2212. retrieved
from: https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980013001067
Rausch, R. (2013). Nutrition and academic performance in school-age
children the relation to obesity and food insufficiency. J Nutr Food
Sci, 3(190), 2. DOI: 10.4172/2155-9600.1000190

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