Burger ban urged for children

By AINSLEY THOMSON

Health officials have suggested that it be made illegal to sell junk food to children.

They want a ban written into a new health law to meet concerns about child obesity.

A minimum legal age for being able to eat such food is one of a number of ideas floated in a Ministry of Health discussion document that aims to restrict children's access to food considered unhealthy.

Other possibilities include restrictions on the number, size and location of outlets selling certain types of food.

One group wants soft drinks, pies, sweets and chocolate included in the controlled category.

Submissions on the discussion paper have now closed, and any proposals the Government adopts are likely to be included in the Public Health Bill which will replace the 1956 Health Act.

A study in Auckland two years ago found that one in seven primary school age children was obese.

Experts say the figure will now be higher.

The Herald has examined the child obesity problem this week in a three-part series.

The ministry's discussion document called for submissions on how food should be advertised and marketed to children, and on how awareness of healthy food options can be improved.

More than 400 submissions were received including those from Fight the Obesity Epidemic, a diabetes and obesity prevention group.

Spokeswoman Robyn Toomath, a consultant endocrinologist at Wellington Hospital and president of the Society for the Study of Diabetes, said the group believed regulation and legislation was urgently needed.

"We have to stop the kids from gaining weight. We have to take a deep breath and say what are the significant factors influencing our children in this epidemic."

Her group's main aims were to stop advertising directed at children and stop schools selling junk food.

The group also wants controls on the quality of food sold within 1km of a school.

"What the heck are we doing selling soft drinks, fruit drinks, chips and pies, sweets and chocolates in schools?" said Dr Toomath.

"These are the foods that are contributing to obesity because they are calorie dense and nutrient poor.

"Its about time we started getting serious about it and stopped promoting them to children in schools.

"We want to regulate the school environment so these things are not able to be sold in schools any more than we would be able to sell alcohol or cigarettes.

"These things are not far-fetched.

"In the long term, they are what will be required."

Restaurant Brands, the company that operates KFC, Pizza Hut and Starbucks in New Zealand, is fighting the proposals.

Chief executive Jim Collier said obesity was a lifestyle disease and needed to be addressed as such.

"We don't think restricting access will address the issue that it is a lifestyle disease."

The company hired public law consultants Chen Palmer and Partners to help prepare submissions on the discussion paper.

Director of Public Health Colin Tukuitonga said the ministry's ideas were put forward for discussion and might not be passed into law.

"But what's important is that these ideas are openly discussed and debated, so everyone including interest groups and the public has the opportunity to provide comments and responses," he said.

The discussion document prompted the Advertising Standards Authority to hold a symposium on obesity.

Executive director Glen Wiggs said the authority did not believe there was a link between advertising of food and obesity.

The symposium was boycotted by health groups, such as the Cancer Society, the Heart Foundation, and Diabetes NZ because they believed it was being used to lobby the Government against imposing regulations on fast-food advertising.