Should we ban junk food in schools? We asked five experts

Madeleine Rojahn, Sasha Petrova, The Conversation, Anna Peeters, Darren Powell, Evelyn Volders, Gary Sacks, Natalie Parletta

Authors

Madeleine Rojahn
Editorial intern
Sasha Petrova
Section Editor: Education

Interviewed

Anna Peeters
Professor Epidemiology & Equity in Public Health & Director, Institute Health Transformation, Deakin University
Darren Powell
Senior Lecturer in Health and Physical Education, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
Evelyn Volders
Senior Lecturer/Course Convenor in Nutrition and Dietetics, Monash University
Gary Sacks
Professor of Public Health Policy, Deakin University
Natalie Parletta
Adjunct Senior Research Fellow, University of South Australia

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Obesity rates are on the rise in Australia and across the world. For years, public health and medical groups have called for schools to ban sales of junk foods as one way to stem the tide.

Selling fatty or sugary food and drinks has been banned in Western Australia’s public schools since 2007. A 2018 study found WA children were eating healthier as a result of the ban. But it also found some regional schools were struggling to comply with it.

Some countries, including Canada and Chile, have banned junk food in schools. Should Australia do the same?

We asked five experts.

Four out of five experts said yes

Here are their detailed responses:

If you have a “yes or no” education question you’d like posed to Five Experts, email your suggestion to: sasha.petrova@theconversation.edu.au

Disclosures: Gary Sacks receives funding from the National Heart Foundation of Australia, the National Health and Medical Research Council, and VicHealth.

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