Woolworths, Coles and ALDI supermarkets ‘red-flagged’ for unhealthy food specials at the checkout

According to a study by a Victorian university, large Australian supermarkets have been warned about advertising unhealthy food.

Deakin University research found that all major supermarkets have been “marked in red” by a new national food dashboard designed to track the top cause of high obesity in Australia.

Associate Professor Gary Sacks said supermarkets are guilty of over-promoting, discounting and displaying unhealthy food.

“Unhealthy eating is a major contributor to poor health in Australia,” he said on Wednesday.

“Our diet is so bad because unhealthy foods are being forced upon us everywhere.”

Australian supermarkets have been warned about advertising unhealthy food, according to a study by a Victorian university. Credit: JAMES ROSS/AAPIMAGE

“In Australian supermarkets, it is almost impossible to pay for groceries without exposure to unhealthy foods and drinks,” he added.

“Unhealthy products are on sale almost twice as often as healthy foods, and the discounts on unhealthy foods are much bigger than the discounts on healthier foods.”

A Woolworths spokesman said the supermarket chain worked hard to “make healthier choices easier and more affordable for our customers, but we can always do more”.

“We encourage good eating habits from an early age and have given away more than 100 million pieces of fruit through our Free Fruit for Kids program.

“We’re also investing millions in promoting fresh Australian fruits and vegetables to help our customers eat healthily and save by shopping in season.”

7NEWS.com.au also asked Coles for a comment.

The Food Environment Dashboard, which will be released later on Wednesday, summarizes key indicators for the health of food environments.

“The dashboard is designed to provide easily accessible information for anyone interested in understanding ways to improve the diet of the population and will be particularly useful for informing policymakers at all levels of government,” said Sacks.

“For the first time we have a really clear picture of how our environment causes us to consume too much of the wrong foods. It shows the need for much stronger political action at all levels of government in Australia to create a healthier food environment. “

How the Australian Food Environment Dashboard is presented. Credit: Delivered

Main results

Other important findings from research show:

• Children see an average of 10 unhealthy food ads every hour they are online. On television, children are exposed to unhealthy food advertisements more than twice as often as advertisements for healthy foods.

• Almost two-thirds of outdoor food ads advertise unhealthy food, and unhealthy food ads are more common in the most deprived communities than in the least deprived neighborhoods.

• The cost of eating a healthy diet is simply prohibitive for low-income people living in rural or remote areas. In these regions, a healthy diet costs more than 30 percent of household income.

The results of the dashboard show how the processed food industry is shaping the Australian diet, says Dr. Jane Martin, executive manager of the Obesity Policy Coalition.

“This is the first time that such a comprehensive data set has been collected and presented. It is an important step in how we see and understand our food environment, ”said Dr. Martin.

“These red flags show that governments urgently need to introduce higher standards for the food industry to market and sell their unhealthy foods and beverages.

“The overdue National Obesity Strategy provides the framework for the government to put the health of Australians above the profits of the food industry and to improve the health and wellbeing of millions of Australians.”

source https://dailyhealthynews.ca/woolworths-coles-and-aldi-supermarkets-red-flagged-for-unhealthy-food-specials-at-the-checkout/