In 2018, the Senate Select Committee in the obesity epidemic in Australia made 22 recommendations for change.
On 10 May 2018, the Senate resolved that the Select Committee into the obesity epidemic in Australia be established on 16 May 2018; they delivered their final report on 5 December 2018.
The Final Report made 22 recommendations across nine different areas including language and stigma, obesity strategy, food labelling, reformulation, tax of sugary drinks, marketing and advertising of discretionary foods, education campaigns, health care interventions, and community-based multi-strategy interventions.
The Select Committee reported on the following matters:
- The prevalence of overweight and obesity among children in Australia and changes in these rates over time;
- The causes of the rise in overweight and obesity in Australia;
- The short and long-term harm to health associated with obesity, particularly in children in Australia;
- The short and long-term economic burden of obesity, particularly related to obesity in children in Australia;
- The effectiveness of existing policies and programs introduced by Australian governments to improve diets and prevent childhood obesity;
- Evidence-based measures and interventions to prevent and reverse childhood obesity, including experiences from overseas jurisdictions;
- The role of the food industry in contributing to poor diets and childhood obesity in Australia; and any other related matters.