Public health experts are advocating for governmental intervention to safeguard Australians from the pervasive influence of the unhealthy food, alcohol, and advertising industries. This call to action follows new research published today, which reveals the covert methods these industries employ to exploit Australian consumers.

Two pivotal papers, featured in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, dissect the strategies of these industries. The first study examines how fast-food restaurants utilize public relations (PR) tactics to generate favorable news coverage of their unhealthy products and bolster their corporate image. The second study explores the tactics used by the unhealthy food, alcohol, and advertising sectors to influence government proposals aimed at restricting the advertising of unhealthy food and alcohol on publicly owned assets.

Manipulative PR Tactics

The initial study scrutinized the PR activities of three major fast-food chains in Australia over a 12-month period. It was found that these companies issued at least 52 press releases, with 27% focusing on unhealthy food products and another 27% on corporate social responsibility initiatives. This PR effort resulted in overwhelmingly positive media coverage (93%) for the fast-food brands across 31 Australian news outlets, leading to at least 86 print and online news stories, predominantly promoting unhealthy food items.

Influencing Government Policy

The second study analyzed the response of the unhealthy food, alcohol, and advertising industries to a Queensland government proposal aimed at restricting the advertising of unhealthy food and alcohol on public assets. Opponents of the reform employed a range of tactics, including direct meetings with the Minister for Health and co-opting five charities to support their stance. These efforts led to alterations in the proposal, which remains unadopted.

Calls for Comprehensive Action

Professor Kathryn Backholer, Vice President for Development of the Public Health Association of Australia and Co-Director of the Global Center for Preventative Health and Nutrition at Deakin University, authored both research papers. She highlights the devious tactics of the unhealthy food and alcohol industries, which prioritize profits over Australians' health.

"Australians strive to make healthy food choices for their families, but this research demonstrates how companies undermine these efforts by ensuring pervasive junk food marketing," Backholer states. "The advertising industry employs sneaky tactics to prevent government reforms aimed at protecting children from unhealthy food and alcohol advertising."

Dr. James Kite, from the School of Public Health at the University of Sydney and co-author of the fast-food PR study, emphasizes the covert nature of these marketing tactics. "Fast food chains use media releases to bypass our usual skepticism towards advertising. This covert approach requires media outlets to proactively protect us from incessant unhealthy food advertising," he explains.

Adjunct Professor Terry Slevin, CEO of the Public Health Association of Australia, underscores the vulnerability of journalists, not-for-profit organizations, and governments to industry exploitation. "Australian charities, often underfunded and under-resourced, may support industry interests due to the lure of pro bono advertising and partnership incentives," he notes. "Similarly, media outlets, reliant on advertising dollars from unhealthy industries, may be more receptive to their promotional releases."

Slevin asserts that financial incentives should not compromise public health. "Ethics and health must come first. Australia has successfully regulated the marketing of other harmful industries, like tobacco, to protect public health. It's time we did the same with unhealthy foods."

Advocacy for Government Action

The Public Health Association of Australia is calling for robust government action to mitigate the impact of poor diet and obesity on Australia's escalating rates of chronic disease. Key recommendations include:

• Funding and implementing the National Preventative Health Strategy.
• Introducing a health levy on sugar-sweetened beverages.
• Mandating the Health Star Rating system.
• Restricting junk food advertising to children.

In anticipation of the 2024 Queensland election, the Association's Queensland Branch will also advocate for policies to sever the connection between government properties and junk food. This includes removing unhealthy foods from Queensland-owned properties such as hospitals and school canteens and revisiting policies to eliminate unhealthy food and alcohol advertising from state-owned assets.

These measures aim to protect Australians from the detrimental influence of the unhealthy food and alcohol industries, ensuring a healthier future for all.