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Michelle Bridges urges junk food action over Fiona Nash health rating scandal Michelle Bridges urges junk food action over Fiona Nash health rating scandal
(about 4 hours later)
The celebrity fitness guru Michelle Bridges has said she is “outraged” by the assistant health minister intervening to pull down a healthy food rating website, and by the “disproportionate” influence of junk food companies on Canberra.The celebrity fitness guru Michelle Bridges has said she is “outraged” by the assistant health minister intervening to pull down a healthy food rating website, and by the “disproportionate” influence of junk food companies on Canberra.
Bridges used her Sunday Life column to urge people to write to the prime minister supporting a healthy food rating system and website and objecting to the influence of junk food companies.Bridges used her Sunday Life column to urge people to write to the prime minister supporting a healthy food rating system and website and objecting to the influence of junk food companies.
“We still don’t have a coherent food-labelling system or a website to inform consumers about healthy food choices,” she wrote. “Listen up, Canberra. We’re sick of – and getting sick from – Big Junk having a disproportionate influence on our health and that of our kids.”“We still don’t have a coherent food-labelling system or a website to inform consumers about healthy food choices,” she wrote. “Listen up, Canberra. We’re sick of – and getting sick from – Big Junk having a disproportionate influence on our health and that of our kids.”
Bridges wrote of Fiona Nash’s former chief of staff Alastair Furnival’s links to the junk food industry. She said his role in taking down the government’s healthy food rating site was akin to “Dracula being exposed while hanging out at the blood bank” and that all Australians were left with was politicians ducking for cover.Bridges wrote of Fiona Nash’s former chief of staff Alastair Furnival’s links to the junk food industry. She said his role in taking down the government’s healthy food rating site was akin to “Dracula being exposed while hanging out at the blood bank” and that all Australians were left with was politicians ducking for cover.
The site was live for a few hours last month before Nash’s office intervened. Nash has consistently said the site went live prematurely and the finer details of the healthy food rating system are still being worked out but Furnival resigned amid conflict-of-interest allegations.The site was live for a few hours last month before Nash’s office intervened. Nash has consistently said the site went live prematurely and the finer details of the healthy food rating system are still being worked out but Furnival resigned amid conflict-of-interest allegations.
Bridges said government ministers such as Joe Hockey and Peter Dutton were warning people the cost of Medicare was exploding but not doing anything to tackle obesity which she said was a major factor in the health bills piling up.Bridges said government ministers such as Joe Hockey and Peter Dutton were warning people the cost of Medicare was exploding but not doing anything to tackle obesity which she said was a major factor in the health bills piling up.
It was an unusually political column for Bridges, who has made her name as a trainer on the Biggest Loser and through her online 12-week body transformation program.It was an unusually political column for Bridges, who has made her name as a trainer on the Biggest Loser and through her online 12-week body transformation program.
She quoted a University of Melbourne health expert, Rob Moodie, as saying the food industry is so powerful in Australia that politicians are scared of it and that there needs to be the same level of anger in the community as there was about tobacco lobbyists. “I for one am outraged,” said Bridges at the end of the column.She quoted a University of Melbourne health expert, Rob Moodie, as saying the food industry is so powerful in Australia that politicians are scared of it and that there needs to be the same level of anger in the community as there was about tobacco lobbyists. “I for one am outraged,” said Bridges at the end of the column.
The healthy food rating system was initiated by the former Labor government and is in its final stages of preparation, although it could possibly be scrapped at a meeting between state and federal health ministers in June.The healthy food rating system was initiated by the former Labor government and is in its final stages of preparation, although it could possibly be scrapped at a meeting between state and federal health ministers in June.
Nash responded to the column saying the site went live prematurely and there could be significant misunderstanding of the system because an information campaign on how the rating system works was not ready.
“The process to develop a front of pack star rating system is continuing and has not been delayed by the taking down of the website,” a spokeswoman said.
A cost-benefit analysis and education campaign needed to be completed before the system was ready, she said.
The spokeswoman said there were also anomalies in the website being fixed.
“Low fat yoghurt scores 5 stars and full cream yoghurt gets 2 stars. This could be confusing for parents of under 2-year-olds who should have full cream products as stated in NMHRC guidelines,” she said.
“Another example is orange juice – this rates 5 stars. There is nothing currently in the Health Star Rating system explaining quantities –we would not want to mislead shoppers that drinking a litre of orange juice a day is healthy.”
She added: “It was issues like this Minister Nash wanted addressed before the site went live, and believed a communications plan must be ready to accompany the strategy when it was launched.”
The implementation steering committee met last week and a last-ditch effort to have the website revived immediately was shot down.The implementation steering committee met last week and a last-ditch effort to have the website revived immediately was shot down.
The committee is hoping to have the healthy food rating system implemented by mid-year with the website up and running by then but the June ministers’ meeting will have the final say.The committee is hoping to have the healthy food rating system implemented by mid-year with the website up and running by then but the June ministers’ meeting will have the final say.
Nash’s office was contacted for comment on Bridges’s foray into the issue.Nash’s office was contacted for comment on Bridges’s foray into the issue.