So alarming is the trend that the Government has prioritised reducing this rate through its Childhood Obesity Plan. This week a leading public health researcher urged the Government to curb the marketing of unhealthy food to children and young people. Professor Swinburn has claimed a submission by 77 New Zealand health professors to a recent industry review of self-regulatory advertising codes had been "largely ignored". A spokesperson for the New Zealand Food and Grocery Council said it wanted to see the age of "a child" in the codes redefined from 14 to 12. If the Government wants to encourage young people to make healthy lifestyle choices then, in my view, it needs to limit or stop the marketing of unhealthy food to children.

Source: New Zealand Herald February 22, 2017 06:00 UTC