Category: Obesity
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“Radical, or plain common sense?” Public health’s perennial question
Terry Slevin I was recently invited by ABC Radio Adelaide to talk about our policy asks ahead of the March 2026 state election. The invitation followed the release of our association’s South Australian Branch election platform on 13 February. The host of the Mornings programme, Rory McLaren, opened with a…
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The global food system’s broken: there are now more obese children than underweight
Claire Johnson For the first time in history, obesity among school-age children and adolescents has overtaken underweight worldwide. That is the headline finding of UNICEF’s 2025 Child Nutrition Report: Feeding Profit released today, which I co-authored during my time at UNICEF Headquarters as the Global Technical Lead for Food Environments…
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Strengthening policy for impact: Making outdoor food advertising restrictions work for local governments
Clare Whitton, Frith Klug, Alexia Bivoltsis, Catrina McStay, Georgina S.A. Trapp, and Claire E. Pulker State, territory and local governments in Australia are taking steps to reduce exposure to unhealthy food advertising. This was seen through South Australia’s recent forward-thinking restrictions across state-owned buses, trains, and trams. The restrictions are…
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This stuff is killing us
We’re calling on the next Australian Government to take sustained steps to ensure fewer people get sick, including acting on obesity. Find out more on PHAA’s 2025 Election Priorities site. This is part of an ongoing series explaining our 2025 Federal Election asks. Read the other articles in the series here.…
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Toward a comprehensive approach to obesity
Adjunct Professor Terry Slevin, Clare Hughes, Anita Dessaix, Associate Professor Kate McBride, Jasmine Lykissas There is an urgent need for public health action on obesity, and a current window of policy opportunity for nationally coordinated advocacy. This urgent need for action reflects the persistently high levels of obesity among Australian…
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It’s time to talk seriously about preventing obesity
Lily Pratt and Professor Caroline Miller Obesity is a major driver of the rising diabetes rates in Australia, and is responsible for over 55% of the total disease burden of type 2 diabetes. Around two thirds of Australians currently live with overweight or obesity; further exacerbating existing inequities. Earlier this…
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Food Ministers urged to prioritise health over industry interests
Damian Maganja, Veronica Le Nevez, Andrea Schmidtke and Sally Witchalls Walk into any supermarket and you will be accosted by shelf upon shelf of unhealthy foods, from soft drinks that contain up to 14 teaspoons of sugar to whole aisles of confectionery, chips and biscuits. Even foods we might think…
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Diabetes and obesity rise to top of national agenda
Adjunct Professor Terry Slevin, PHAA Last night, Dr Mike Freelander, paediatrician and member for the south western Sydney seat of Macarthur, handed down the House of Representatives Health Committees Report on “The state of Diabetes Mellitus in Australia 2024”. The Report shows that five per cent of the population live…
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Prioritising Adolescent Health: Working with Young People to Build a Healthier and More Inclusive Future
By Allyson Todd, Rebecca Raeside and Dr Stephanie Partridge, from the Engagement and Co-design Research Hub at The University of Sydney The theme for this year’s International Adolescent Health Week #IAHW23 (19-25 March) is working with and for young people to build a healthier and more inclusive future. Adolescents are…
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Independent MP Dr Sophie Scamps’ bid to address Australia’s childhood obesity levels
Danielle Gavanescu, PHAA Intern and Master of Public Health student Independent MP Dr Sophie Scamps has announced the development of a Private Member’s Bill that will restrict junk food marketing to children in a bid to curb Australia’s growing obesity epidemic. Dr Sophie Scamps calls for ban on junk food…
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PHAA and SBS-TV recognise the work of ‘Too Deadly for Diabetes’ creator, Ray Kelly
Jeremy Lasek – PHAA One of the great strengths of the PHAA’s annual awards is to uncover great stories of public health best practice at work and making a big difference to people’s lives. Ray Kelly was Highly Commended in the Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander Public Health Award for…
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Appetite for convenience: how the surge in online food delivery could be harming our health
PHAA For information: The World Health Organization is developing recommendations and targets for the prevention and management of obesity over the life course. The draft WHO Discussion Paper dated 17 August is available here. Member States, UN organizations, and non-State actors are invited to submit their feedback before 17 September…
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Junk food companies have no place on the Olympic sponsorship podium
Kathryn Backholer, Christina Zorbas and Florentine Martino The Tokyo Olympics is like no other before it. In the middle of the COVID-19 global pandemic, Olympic stadiums are largely empty. But with half of Australia currently under ‘stay-at-home’ orders, tuning into the Olympics may become the Nation’s biggest-ever broadcasting…
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Swap shapes for rice crackers, chips for popcorn… parents can improve their kids’ diet with these healthier lunchbox options
Matthew Mclaughlin, University of Newcastle; Alison Brown, University of Newcastle; Jannah Jones, University of Newcastle; Luke Wolfenden, University of Newcastle, and Rachel Sutherland, University of Newcastle Four in five primary school students eat a packed lunch every day, costing parents around A$20 a week. That’s almost 10 million lunchboxes across…
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PHAA welcomes support for a sugar tax, while new report warns of impact of sugary drink advertising
For several years the Public Health Association of Australia (PHAA) and other peak health bodies have led the call for the introduction of a health levy on sugar sweetened beverages, targeting the sale of soft drinks to improve the health of our nation. The Rethink Sugary Drink campaign has been…
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How well do the future leaders in Western Australia #ThinkPublicHealth?
Kelly Kennington, Hannah Pierce, and Elizabeth Connor The WA election is now days away. Some people, including the WA Opposition Leader, have already accepted the current Government will easily win on Saturday. But we shouldn’t count the votes before they’ve been cast – and we shouldn’t head to the polls…
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Addressing weight stigma in public health practice
Kristy Law and Dr Claire Pulker It’s time to change the way we talk about obesity. As public health professionals we know there is no single or simple solution to obesity. It is a chronic relapsing condition that is influenced by more than 100 different factors, and most of these…
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Boris Johnson: could he really be a champion for public health?
Jane Martin and Alexandra Jones The United Kingdom’s ground-breaking obesity strategy, launched recently by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, is close to his heart. In a video introducing the ‘Better Health Strategy’, Johnson draws on his own experience with obesity and COVID-19, a frightening and potentially deadly combination. Obesity already makes us vulnerable…