AUSTRALIA: Junk food worth A$50m a year to Australian children

Australian children are spending A$50m every year on unhealthy foods, according to a survey recently compiled by Disney Adventures. 16% of kids never eat breakfast, and compensate for this by choosing to spend the majority of their pocket money on food out of the home. 70% admitted to a fast-food meal once a week, and a worryingly 15% of those interviewed claimed to live on "junk food" alone. Spokeswoman of the Nutrition Society of Victoria, Heather Ferguson, is concerned about the figures revealed by the study. While most children do eat some fruit, she blames the executives who market "junk food" to impressionable children for forging habits that compromise kids' health.

November 1, 2000