Something at soccer has bothered me. A young boy was tormenting his parents to buy him some chips. I thought it was quite bizzare the intensity of his pleading, then my son told me that chips are now a drug, they have these collector football cards that young boys are being easily addicted to.

With the Obesity issue at the moment in society and especially in children how can a chip manufacturer be permitted to do what they have done.

Surely they are failing in their duty of care?

I do not like seeing how many parents take their kids to these junk food places for breakfast. What is wrong with them?

And as an ex teacher I am deeply worried about schools like my own in western suburbs Melbourne where kids regularly went before school to buy junk food, went at recess and lunch times and some even knicked off from classes to buy this garbage.

Sadly the admin would not act despite my pleadings

Another concern is how close these junk food places are near to ouir schools. This is inappropriate.

My fourth and last point is re the Children's Hospital and their partnership with a certain junk food company by allowing them to be located on their premises. This is an outrage especially given what we know now, such as in the latest Medical Journal of Australia article

Why don't we all mind our own business and ignore idiot, usually fat, parents who bring their kids up to be like them.

Let's get back to natural selection and survival of the fittest. All Australians have information on healthy eating available to them.

Despite media efforts to warp the facts, it is a minority of people who are obese. There are too many people in the world now. If sensible, non-indulgent people can live in a less populated and therefore better world because fatsos are dying young, good!

"Overeating, wrong foods and Lack of Exercise" as causes of obesity are societies' memes, generally accepted 'truths', for the causes of obesity.
They can be for some, but obesity and its causes are much more complex than that.
Look at this web site for dozens of scientific links on obesity factors/causes/variables which we are ignoring.
http://forums.hypography.com/medical-science/6740-obesity-why-we-getting-fat-epizza.html?highlight=obesity+why+are+we+getting+fat

How many knew there was an International Obesity Conference in Sydney recently?
Probably no-one because the local media ignored it.

Until we address the multi-faceted reasons for obesity we have no chance of controlling this expensive epidemic

It's a horribly callous thing to say, but I'm with Leigh on this (never thought that would happen). Although the Darwinism bit is a tad over the top.

We struggled with our kids. Tantrums over the lollies at the checkout, refused to get Maccas no matter how much they nagged, sugary breakfast cereals are a birthday treat only, if they're thirsty there's water in the tap, and we actually cook - y'know? Fresh vegies and that? It's not easy.

Addiction to bad food is no different from any other - if you don't eat it in the first place you won't be tempted every time it's put in front of you.

The problem that I am bringing up with the chips is that they have football collector cards in them. YOu don't know what card is in what packet and the idea is to collect cards for different football teams. The kids then trade them. It is addictive and kids are buying packets of chips just to get these cards.

It is wrong to put these types of cards in chip packets.

It has been an observation of mine that obese kids are brought up this way now for a specific purpose.

Consider these facts:- fat kids cant: run, jump, fight, work hard, walk anywhere, move fast, are a health risk in various ways, and grow to be older and more diverse versions of these facts.

Brought up this way by perhaps fat parents, or perhaps parents with an eye on the future, fat kids are only really useful for one thing:-occupying a space.

Hence, fat people become 'leaders', the brains of all and sundry outfits, the obese but opined specialist on all things bureaucratic and white collar.

It is my postualtion that the obesity explosion is no accident. It is a concerted effort by those involved to be lazy, to be well and truly fed and watered, and to do what lesser pigs can't do at the trough of life- push the wee piggys off.

Jolanda, good topic.
I, too, want to focus on the bribing of kids by food companies.
It is wrong that these cards are being used as a bribe to buy a certain brand of chips.
I’ve seen this happen many times- Tazzo’s were a big rage a few years ago.
Also, McDonalds and other fast food outlets are known for their “happy meals” toys.
Using bribes for kids to buy unhealthy foods should be banned, really.

Even though some parents, as other posters have pointed out, don’t care about health, I can’t see this as a good reason to allow child abuse by parents and those companies that use these irresponsible families as their niche to sell their sugary, salty or (trans) fatty crap to.
Adding cards or toys to an otherwise mediocre product makes it more desirable.

I have been guilty myself of buying that chocolate bar that gave me a chance to win $10,000 or a holiday. While these competitions are aimed at adults, it may be hard to draw the line of which ‘bribes’ (competitions, toys, cards etc) to ban and which ones to allow.
Usually competitions are part of a short promotion, while the use of kids’ toys seems to be a long-term thing.

Question is whether food advertisements directed at children should be banned altogether or permitted, or should there be only a ban on adding toys to unhealthy food products?

Even though I can see Leigh’s POV and read it with a smile, I think that keeping people unhealthy just puts unnecessary strain on our medical and hospital system.

That’s why I think there is more education and support needed for overweight families and one form of support would be to disallow fat-food companies to aim their advertising and bribes at children.
If we don’t choose to spend tax dollars on health education and support we will pay for it in another way, through our medical system.