With part of my background in retail, I’m well-aware of why there just happen to be chocolate bars, chips, novelty items and children’s magazines placed at the counter in the supermarket and at a 5 year old’s eye-level.

And doesn’t it just ping you off to have to say “No you can’t… No you can’t … No you can’t …” to your child’s repeated cries of ”But I want it!” - while the cashier looks at you as if you are a child-abuser.

[Confession: I ... ahem, I mean, a friend of mine ... has been known to quietly crush a few chocolate bars or knock them on to the floor & kick them under the counter in an act of passive-aggressive revenge for what these shops put us parents and our kids through!]

Maybe, just maybe, things are going to change …

The Parents Jury is a web-based network of parents who wish to improve the food and physical activity environments for children in Australia. Their latest press release (dated yesterday) indicates that there is a huge groundswell of anger amongst parents toward the marketing of unhealthy foods. It reads (in part) like this:

 Australian parents will be asked to nominate the best and worst food marketing practices targeting children when the new  Trial by Jury campaign is launched today.

 A ‘guilty’ verdict will be handed down by the Jury on the food marketing campaign parents think is worst, and an ‘honourable mention’ will be given to the one they can’t get enough of. The Jury’s decision will be final and the winner will be exposed to the Australian media and parents across the country.

 Twenty-first century marketers spend millions of dollars each year conjuring up new and creative ways to lure children into buying their unhealthy foods. Media savvy kids are finding food marketing popping up on their mobile phones, gaming sites and email screens. Sadly, most of the foods being promoted to children are high in fat, sugar or salt.  Trial by Jury promises to expose all types of food marketing aimed at children. These include:

• In-store (eg in supermarkets, video or fast food stores) promotions and giveaways
• Food websites specifically targeting children with games / competitions / giveaways
• Computer games with food promotions embedded into them
• School and educational resource marketing including sponsorship and giveaways
• Viral marketing (shush … pass it on …)
• Text message marketing 

I’d add saturation marketing as a tactic … and I say Hooray that someone is tackling the @#$%#!!s who sweet-sell harmful crap to vulnerable people (ie., children & adolescents) … and do it in a way that encourages a feeling of desolation within the young person if they don’t get what has been presented to them. This sense of loss or “missing out” then puts pressure on the relationship between parent and child.

Ah, I could stay on a soapbox for hours on this one.

If you’re an Aussie parent, go to the Parents Jury site and get involved. Let’s force some corporate responsibilty here.

(The UK also has its version of the Parents Jury. I’m interested to hear if there’s others)