Ontario doctors are convinced that warning labels on junk food products will help control obesity in children.
The Ontario Medical Association launched a campaign today in hopes of putting measurements in place to help control junk food consumption.
OMA says that three quarters of individuals who are obese as children will remain obese in adulthood. Obesity can spark huge health concerns for adults including cancer, diabetes and heart disease.
The organization is proposing that junk food items should be taxed in the same manner tobacco is. They think this – along with other efforts (listed below) – will help reduce the number of obese individuals in the province.
The policies the OMA are suggesting include the following:
- Increasing taxes on junk food and decreasing taxes on healthy foods.
- Restricting marketing of fatty and sugary foods to children.
- Placing graphic warning labels on pop and other high-calorie foods with little to no nutritional value.
- Adding retail displays of high-sugar, high-fat foods to prominently advise consumers of the health risks.
- Restricting the availability of sugary, low-nutritional value foodsin sports and other recreational facilities frequented by young people.
Furthermore, the proposal suggests that graphic images, much like the ones found on cigarette cartons, should be placed on all junk food items to warn individuals of the negative health effects of consuming the products.
Do you think junk food items should have warning labels?
Source: CBC
