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Governing childhood obesity: Framing regulation of fast food advertising in the Australian print media

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  • Henderson, Julie
  • Coveney, John
  • Ward, Paul
  • Taylor, Anne

Abstract

Childhood obesity is widely constructed as reaching epidemic proportions with consumption of fast food viewed as a contributing factor. This paper analyses media reporting of the regulation of fast food consumption to children. A media search of five Australian newspapers for the period January 2006 to June 2008 elicited 100 articles relating to the regulation of fast food advertising to children. Content and thematic analysis of the articles reveal conflicting perspectives on the role of the state; the level of accountability of the food and advertising industries; and responsibilities of parents for regulating fast food consumption in children. The Federal Government, food and advertising industries and free to air broadcasters favour industry self-regulation and personal responsibility for fast food consumption while the proponents of government regulation include consumer groups, state government health ministers, nutrition and public health academics and medical and health foundations. The regulation of fast food advertising to children is discussed in relation to ideas about governance and the public health strategies which follow from these ideas. The paper argues that all proposed solutions are indicative of a neoliberal approach to the governance of health insofar as the responsibility for regulation of food marketing is viewed as lying with industry and the regulation of lifestyle risk is viewed as an individual responsibility.

Suggested Citation

  • Henderson, Julie & Coveney, John & Ward, Paul & Taylor, Anne, 2009. "Governing childhood obesity: Framing regulation of fast food advertising in the Australian print media," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 69(9), pages 1402-1408, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:69:y:2009:i:9:p:1402-1408
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Rachel Colls & Bethan Evans, 2008. "Embodying Responsibility: Children's Health and Supermarket Initiatives," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 40(3), pages 615-631, March.
    2. anonymous, 1979. "Government: the federal government shifts gears," Economic Perspectives, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, vol. 3(Jan), pages 18-20.
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    Cited by:

    1. Farrell, Lucy C. & Warin, Megan J. & Moore, Vivienne M. & Street, Jackie M., 2016. "Socio-economic divergence in public opinions about preventive obesity regulations: Is the purpose to ‘make some things cheaper, more affordable’ or to ‘help them get over their own ignorance’?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 154(C), pages 1-8.
    2. Barlow, P. & Thow, A.M., 2021. "Neoliberal discourse, actor power, and the politics of nutrition policy: A qualitative analysis of informal challenges to nutrition labelling regulations at the World Trade Organization, 2007–2019," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 273(C).
    3. Sylvie Borau & Jean-François Bonnefon, 2019. "The Imaginary Intrasexual Competition: Advertisements Featuring Provocative Female Models Trigger Women to Engage in Indirect Aggression," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 157(1), pages 45-63, June.
    4. Fernanda Mediano & Camila Fierro & Camila Corvalán & Marcela Reyes & Teresa Correa, 2023. "Framing a New Nutrition Policy: Changes on Key Stakeholder’s Discourses throughout the Implementation of the Chilean Food Labelling Law," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(9), pages 1-15, May.
    5. Lacy-Nichols, Jennifer & Scrinis, Gyorgy & Carey, Rachel, 2020. "The evolution of Coca-Cola Australia’s soft drink reformulation strategy 2003–2017: A thematic analysis of corporate documents," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    6. Chien Thang Pham & Trang Ta Thi Nguyet, 2022. "Using Media to Influence Consumer Attitudes to Domestic Goods in Vietnam by Framing Public Interest: A Media Framing Effect Analysis," SAGE Open, , vol. 12(4), pages 21582440221, November.
    7. Rowbotham, Samantha & McKinnon, Merryn & Marks, Leah & Hawe, Penelope, 2019. "Research on media framing of public policies to prevent chronic disease: A narrative synthesis," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 237(C), pages 1-1.
    8. Baker, Phillip & Gill, Timothy & Friel, Sharon & Carey, Gemma & Kay, Adrian, 2017. "Generating political priority for regulatory interventions targeting obesity prevention: an Australian case study," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 177(C), pages 141-149.
    9. Greener, Joe & Douglas, Flora & van Teijlingen, Edwin, 2010. "More of the same? Conflicting perspectives of obesity causation and intervention amongst overweight people, health professionals and policy makers," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 70(7), pages 1042-1049, April.
    10. Georgiana-Raluca Lădaru & Marian Siminică & Maria Claudia Diaconeasa & Diana Maria Ilie & Carmen-Elena Dobrotă & Marian Motofeanu, 2021. "Influencing Factors and Social Media Reflections of Bakery Products Consumption in Romania," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-17, March.
    11. Clarke, Brydie & Swinburn, Boyd & Sacks, Gary, 2020. "Understanding the LiveLighter® obesity prevention policy processes: An investigation using political science and systems thinking," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 246(C).

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