Amid rising rates of obesity in young Australians, pressure is mounting in South Australia for a ban on new fast-food constructions near schools. (Image: Constance Siasios)
By Constance Siasios | @constance.siasios
SA Greens MLC Robert Simms has introduced a bill that would ban new fast-food outlets from opening within 400 metres of schools if made law, in a bid to tackle South Australia’s rising childhood obesity rates.
In 2024, Preventive Health SA found 37.1 per cent of children aged 2–17 years in South Australia were overweight or obese — an increase of almost 25 per cent since 2021.
Compared to the national average found by the National Cancer Control Indicators of approximately 27.7 per cent of children aged 5–17 being overweight or obese, South Australia’s rate of 37.1 per cent is significantly higher, raising major concerns for public health.
Simms is trying to combat this issue through the Fast Food Restaurants near Schools Amendment Bill introduced to the SA Parliament in March 2025.
“The broader intent of the legislation is to create an environment that supports healthier choices, particularly for children and adolescents,” he says.
“The bill is not intended to be a stand-alone solution … it is a targeted intervention aimed at reducing the easy accessibility and visibility of unhealthy foods … where children spend a significant portion of their day.”
The 2021 South Australian Population Health Survey found nearly two thirds of South Australian children reported consuming fast food at least once a week.
Senior lecturer in nutrition and clinical health sciences at the University of South Australia Dr Alison Hill believes that fast food restaurants surrounding schools play a critical role in shaping children’s dietary habits.
“Having a fast-food restaurant … down the road from a primary school or high school … just fuels availability that I think could be regulated a bit better,” she says.
“I think you almost have to take away children’s choice … you can’t give them the bad choice all the time … I think you’ve got to limit that.”
Simms states the bill is projected to “reduce environmental triggers”, which will minimise poor dietary choices.
The 2020 Australian Institute of Health and Welfare highlights the importance of addressing childhood obesity, noting its long-term consequences for individuals as well as its broader impact on society through increased healthcare costs.
“Having a higher weight as a child transfers into adulthood, so they have increased risk for being a high weight adult, which then confers additional risks,” Hill says.
Professor in nutrition and dietetics at Flinders University Dr Rebecca Golley is concerned about the upward trend in child weight gain, yet still holds hope.
“With rates of overweight and obesity sitting at around 30 percent, it’s about double what we would expect,” she says.
“These rates have sort of dramatically increased over the last 40 to 50 years.”
The most recent national survey on Australian eating and activity patterns was conducted over a decade ago so “we don’t really know … the types of programs and services that we need,” Golley says.
“Part of the issue is 90 per cent of children are consuming high energy and discretionary foods while vegetable intake is down to about five per cent.”
The latest Australian Bureau of Statistics survey in 2022 shows only 4.6 percent of children aged 2–17 met the daily vegetable recommendation.
In mid-2023, the SA Department for Education found a slight increase to 14 per cent of children in South Australia meeting the daily vegetable recommendation.
Golley is hopeful that there are opportunities for change, saying the perception that healthier foods are more expensive is “not true”, yet parents also struggle finding food their kids are “going to eat”.
“For kids to become familiar with a new food, they need to sort of be exposed to it, taste it, upwards of 10 to 15 times … even if a kid doesn’t like it the first time, keep trying it just a small amount,” she says.
“If we increase the sort of education and motivation in parents, then that will naturally change their usual norms or practices, for example what they’re offering at mealtimes.
“Looking at what children eat in childcare is a really important evidence-based strategy… so you can directly make sure they get nutritious, balanced food.
“I think actions that actually change what’s sold, promoted or offered are probably going to be most powerful interventions.”
Simms says the issue is “complex” and “multifaceted”, making the bill one part of a larger comprehensive strategy.
“The bill is designed to complement other public health initiatives such as school nutrition programs, community health education, and incentives for healthy food retailers,” he says.
“This could pave the way for local councils or state government departments to introduce complementary policies or grants that support healthy food vendors near schools”.
Simms says campaign promotions in school communities and local businesses will help promote the availability and affordability of healthy meals.
“The bill is about creating healthier environments for our kids, its one piece of the puzzle in tackling a broader public health crisis,” he says.
In July 2025, the Malinauskas government banned junk food advertisements on Adelaide Metro services to combat the obesity crisis.
The ban specifically targets products like chocolate, lollies, soft drinks, and chips, but neither the state or federal government have committed to banning junk food advertising online or on TV.
Hill says junk food companies’ promotion of sport is seen as cool to kids.
“I think it’s about trying to push into those social media platforms that they’re viewing all the time to try and get some leverage there,” she said
University Senior College student Olivia Paneras, 17, says social media influences her food preferences and believes more should be done in schools to combat the childhood weight gain crisis.
“Social media has definitely influenced the amount of food I consume and my food preferences… even just seeing people eating certain foods makes me crave them,” she says.
“Taste is probably the biggest factor for me, if something doesn’t taste good, I most likely will not eat it even if it is healthy.”
Paneras is disappointed with the level of support provided by schools to counteract childhood obesity surrounding food education and daily canteen selection.
“We never really get health talks or any sort of participation in physical activity unless we decide to do our own fitness outside of school,” she says.
“The food at the canteen is mainly oily and fried foods which are full of sugar, I think they could do more to make healthy options more accessible.
“My usual snacks are popcorn, chips, fruit, biscuits and muesli bars, because they are easy to carry around … and take to school.”
As childhood obesity continues to rise, experts warn that, without urgent action, the next generation could face a lifetime of preventable health problems.
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