Welcome to the third edition of Todd Talks.
Thank you everyone who has shown their support for this monthly column. Please continue to ask questions, suggest topics, or let us know how we can help.
Our first ever healthy eating campaign launches
We recently launched Food Fight, an important new campaign.
Food Fight will raise awareness and engage parents on the issue of unhealthy food and drink advertising. The campaign will highlight the battle between the processed food industry and children and will ask adults to take advocacy action.
Each year the processed food industry spends millions of dollars to advertise their products in places where they know children will see it as they go about their daily lives, including on public transport, bus shelters and near schools.
When it comes to Victorian children and their exposure to junk food ads, the statistics are unacceptable:
- Victorian children are hit by at least 25 junk food and drink ads every day.
- 62% of food ads near Melbourne schools promote unhealthy food and drinks.
This advertising influences what kids eat, want to eat and what they buy, leading to poor diets and ultimately putting them at risk of 13 types of cancer and other serious diseases later in life.
To give children the best chance of growing up healthy they must be protected from unhealthy food and drink advertising.
We really hope the community will be able to get behind this campaign. There is so much we can all do, together to create meaningful change and help provide a healthier future for our kids.
If you can help us act, there are many ways you can get involved. You can sign our call-to-action statement, share your examples of unhealthy food and drink advertising, or donate to ensure we can continue our work to improve the health of our kids. You can also sign up to join our community and to stay in touch with the campaign and have a conversation about the campaign with your family, friends and networks.
Click here to take action
Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea is back for 2022
One of my favourite times of the year is back – Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea.
It’s a special time to connect with friends and loved ones. For those of us back in the office or workplace, it’s an opportunity to connect with our colleagues after experiencing such a long time apart. You can host a Biggest Morning Tea in any way you like – at home with friends and family, in the office or host a virtual event. After the past two years of COVID-19 restrictions, this year I am looking forward to the opportunity to connect with our supporters who do so much to support those affected by cancer.
I have so many great memories of this event and thank everyone who has supported us over the years.
One long-time supporter that comes to mind is Betty, who has been raising funds for Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea for over 23 years now and has raised over $25,000 for people impacted by cancer – an incredible effort!
Betty lives in a small town in Victoria and promotes her morning tea in her local community. It’s people like Betty who really inspire me.
Our Cancer Council Victoria employees are also excited about being able to participate in this iconic event, connect with their team members and even participate in some friendly baking competition.
This year, I challenge everyone to be as creative as you can, like Jane from Cancer Council Victoria who made a lemon blueberry cake in the theme of a home bowel test kit (pictured below.) You can find the recipe here: Lemon Blueberry Cake - Preppy Kitchen and you can find plenty of healthy morning tea inspirations from our Live Lighter website.
I look forward to seeing the many ways you hold a Biggest Morning Tea.
Until next time
Thank you for your support. Stay safe and I look forward to providing more updates next month in the next edition of Todd Talks. Have a question for me? Ask away!