Child obesity 'down to parents"
26apr06
TACKLING childhood obesity was best done with healthy eating messages, not restricting junk food advertising, Health Minister Tony Abbott said today.
Mr Abbott said the role of the Federal Government in tackling rising levels of childhood obesity was to send out a message on healthy eating.
"The only person that is ultimately responsible for what goes in the mouth of children is the child's parents," he said on Channel 9.
"Yes, responsibility does start at home and the role of government is to send the right messages, and the healthy eating message is certainly something which the Howard government is promoting."
Mr Abbott ruled out banning junk food ads during children's television viewing hours, saying the advertising industry was regulating itself.
"I am not inclined to go down that track," he said.
"I think in the end we can't put people in cotton wool, we can't protect them against the world ... people do have to take responsibility.
"But I am encouraged by the fact that there does seem to be a move by the industry to rein in so-called pester power ads."
Mr Abbott said the problem needed to be tackled by the whole community.
"The solution for this is just not government action," he said.
"It's parental action, it's school action, it's everyone taking more responsibility for what they eat."
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