Cartoon characters like the Paddle Pop Lion and Freddo Frog are
being used increasingly across media platforms to lure children
to unhealthy foods and should be banned, a health organisation
has said. While falling short of calling for ''plain packaging''
on sugary and fatty foods, the Obesity Policy Coalition said the
federal government should ban marketers from using cartoon
characters and giveaway toys to promote junk and unhealthy
foods. A coalition spokesman, Professor Boyd Swinburn, said
cartoon characters were the common factor used to draw children
to fattening foods and drinks but companies were now using free
online games, apps, movies and other new media to promote
unhealthy food. ''Cartoon characters and toy giveaways are
certainly the hook used to draw children in,'' he said. ''It is
a huge battle, akin to the battle with tobacco over plain
packaging.'' Professor Swinburn said self-regulation had failed
because some companies refused to sign up to industry codes and
loopholes often allowed compan