To advance policy initiatives, Australian governments need robust evidence demonstrating the societal benefits of proposed actions. This presentation will explore the critical role of economic evidence in shaping policy decisions, examine the cost-effectiveness of policies restricting unhealthy food advertising and highlight how economic analyses can quantify both the health and financial impacts of industry influence on policy-making.

This presentation will describe the food marketing context in Australia, including children's exposure to unhealthy food marketing and the impact of this marketing has on the health and well-being of Australian’s. It will describe the actions required to protect children from unhealthy food marketing, novel solutions to support policy adoption and implementation and the forces opposing policy action in Australia and globally.

From confectionery on bus stops to sugary drinks on billboards, our towns are setting the stage for unhealthy food, increasing our risk of food related ill health such as diabetes, heart disease and tooth decay. In the UK, several local governments, including the Mayor of London, have put their children’s health before profits using policy restrictions to switch the spotlight away from unhealthy food. Evidence shows that the restrictions work. In London, they have led to a 20% reduction in sugary product purchases, and a 1000 kcal decrease in household unhealthy food and drink purchases. Modelling shows that the London policy restrictions will prevent 95,000 cases of obesity, 3000 cases of diabetes, 2000 cases of heart disease, and save the NHS £218 million. Meanwhile, advertising revenues were maintained. This presentation will share how these policies work as well as the successes and challenges for introducing them.