It’s the parent network group campaigning to stop junk food advertising on TV until 9pm. Spokesperson for the Parents Jury, Kathryn Taylor, joins TODAY to discuss their cause.
Aiming to improve the food and physical activity environments of Australian children, the Parents Jury's key concerns are: Healthy Schools, Food Marketing to Kids, Physical Activity, Healthy Checkouts & Healthy Eating for Kids.
Kathryn reveals this year’s junk food advertising campaigns nominated for the shame awards.
2009 NOMINEES
The Fame Award for Parents' Choice congratulates the food marketing campaign that promotes healthy eating to children in a fun and appealing way.
Nominees:
- Socceroos and Sanitarium Weetbix, Batlow Apples
- WAIS Community Development Program
- Australian Bananas "No Nos and Na Nas" campaign
- San Remo and Netball Australia's NetSetGo! junior netball program
The Shame Award for Pester Power for the food marketing campaign that members hate the most for encouraging children to nag for unhealthy foods.
Nominees:
- McDonald's Happy Meal 'Box of Play' TV ad
- Kellogg's cereals
- Red Rooster 'Little Red Rooster Meal' TV ad
The Shame Award for Smoke & Mirrors for the use of misleading claims on children's foods that make an unhealthy product appear healthier than it is.
Nominees:
- Ferrero 'Nutella' TV ads
- Kellogg's Nutri-Grain campaign
- Allen's 25 percent Reduced Sugar lollies TV ad
The Shame Award for the Bad Sport for a sports association, team or athlete that promotes unhealthy foods and drinks to children.
Nominees:
- McDonald's and Australian Little Athletics state associations
- Hungry Jacks and AFL
The Shame Award for the Techno Hack for the use of new technologies to promote unhealthy foods to children.
Nominees:
- McDonald's 'Happy Meal' website
- The Adventures of Freddo
- Maths Online, sponsored by McDonald's
The Parents Jury
- The Parents Jury is an online network of parents, grandparents and guardians, who are interested in improving the food and physical activity environments of Australian children.
- The Parents Jury was formed in 2004 and now have nearly 4,000 members registered nationally.
- The Parents Jury provides a forum for parents to voice their views and to collectively advocate for the improvement of children's food and physical activity environments. For example, reduced unhealthy food marketing targeted at young children, more healthy choices for school canteens, and making neighbourhoods safer and more child-friendly.
- The Parents Jury's website provides parents with information, advocacy suggestions and resources to enable them to become champions on behalf of their own children and to campaign on a local level for improved food and physical activity environments.
- The Parents Jury is jointly co-ordinated, administered and funded by Cancer Council Australia, Diabetes Australia Vic, QLD and WA, the Australian and New Zealand Obesity Society, VicHealth and YMCA Victoria. These organisations have a major interest in improving children's nutrition and levels of physical activity, and reducing overweight and obesity in Australia. The increase in overweight and obesity is one of the biggest health threats facing Australian children.
Key concerns
Healthy Schools - The Parents Jury’s aim is for all Australian schools to provide supportive environments for healthy eating and regular physical activity, and that these healthy choices are constantly and consistently promoted to all students and their families.
Food Marketing to Kids - The aim of The Parents Jury is to substantially reduce the marketing of junk foods to young children, initially through a ban on television advertisements for these products during children's viewing hours.
Physical Activity - Regular physical activity is as important for children as it is for adults. Being active has many benefits; it helps kids to stay healthy and gives them confidence, both physically and psychologically.
Healthy Checkouts - The Parents Jury advocates for 50 percent of supermarket checkout counters, and their immediate vicinity, to be free from the sale of all junk food products.
Healthy Eating for Kids - What children eat during infancy and childhood can influence their future eating habits, weight and health for life. A balanced and varied diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables is vital for optimal nutritional intake. Children need healthy food for energy, brain function, growth and development.
For more information, go to www.parentsjury.org.au
