Reversing the obesity epidemic will be difficult. Unlike say the smallpox epidemics of times past, which resulted in a horrible disease, becoming obese involves eating a lot and sitting around not being very active - hardly an unpleasant pastime.

To succeed we are going to have to look at an environmental approach. To deal with smoking, Australia targeted media advertising and smoking rates have dropped to among the lowest in the developed world.

The average child sat through a total of three hours 22 minutes of junk food advertising on television during the summer school holidays, according to an audit of junk food advertising to children recently released by the Australian Divisions of General Practice. More than 99% of food ads broadcast during children’s TV programming are for junk food (food high in fat, sugar and/or salt, with little nutritional value).

There is an average of one junk food ad per break during children’s programs. The main categories of food advertising are: fast food (hamburgers, pizza and fried chicken), soft drink, chocolate confectionary, and ice cream. Children watching an average of two and a half hours of TV a day have been exposed to 406 advertising messages encouraging them to eat junk food. No eating messages broadcast during this time promoted the benefits of a healthy and balanced diet.

No wonder GPs are seeing much more of the complications of obesity. In particular they are seeing more and more type 2 diabetes and in much younger people than in the past. This is strongly related to the lifestyle issues of poor diet and lack of exercise. It will result in a lot of preventable disease such as heart attacks, strokes, kidney disease, blindness, circulation problems to the legs, and impotence. The consequences for Australia’s future economically, socially and healthwise are alarming.

Banning junk food ads directed at children is one important environmental strategy to address the obesity epidemic. It will support parents, teachers, doctors and health educators trying to put out health messages that aren’t contradicted by media advertising.