Australia’s food and beverage legislation is failing to protect children from a bombardment of unhealthy, inexpensive and aggressively marketed products, the United Nations’ agency for children has warned, as obesity overtakes thinness as the most globally prevalent form of malnutrition for the first time in recorded history.

UNICEF urged the Australian government to overhaul food labelling requirements, clamp down on junk food advertising, and safeguard against political interference from the ultra-processed food industry, estimating in a report released on Wednesday that one-third of Australians aged five to 19 now have a body-mass index (BMI) within the obese or overweight range.

“Australia, along with governments across the world, must look to implement comprehensive mandatory po

See Full Page