IN AN echo of the television satire The Hollowmen , the Federal Government has distanced itself from a push within Labor to curb junk food advertisements.

Despite the much-proclaimed federal-state Labor co-operation, the federal Health Minister, Nicola Roxon, has declined to join a state health ministers' campaign for limits on advertising of fatty and sugary foods, despite being presented with damning research showing both obesity and the ads themselves are on the rise.

At the health ministers' meeting in Canberra this week, Ms Roxon declined a request from other ministers to participate in a working party to move for tighter restrictions on junk food advertising to children.

A year ago in Opposition, she proposed bans on the promotion of food to children, a move that was dumped on by Kevin Rudd just before the election, apparently after pressure from the advertising and food industries.

In The Hollowmen's first show, the fictitious prime minister's office proposes a tough campaign against junk food but then shrinks when the industry lobbies the prime minister.

Ms Roxon's spokesman said the real Government was awaiting the results of an Australian Communications and Media Authority inquiry into the issue which were not expected until later this year.

The inquiry was established during the term of the previous government which opposed a ban on junk food advertising during children's viewing hours. But the NSW Health Minister, Reba Meagher, said the continued lack of action on television advertising curbs - a federal responsibility - would undermine the impact of an anti-obesity advertising campaign being planned by the federal and state governments.

"How are we going to get our bang for the buck if our advertising campaign messages are being undermined by the continued targeted junk food advertisements to kids?" Ms Meagher asked.

The issue was becoming more urgent, with research commissioned by state health ministers showing that reducing television advertising of high fat/high sugar food and drinks aimed at children was the most cost-effective way to counter obesity.

Research by Sydney University's centre for overweight and obesity found last year that the proportion of advertising of such food to children aged from five to 12 had increased from 66 per cent to 77 per cent in the previous year. And this was while the incidence of obesity was growing by 1 per cent a year.

A survey by the Coalition on Food Advertising to Children found that almost 90 per cent of parents supported a ban on junk food advertising at times when children watched television, Ms Meagher said.

Ms Roxon's spokesman defended the Federal Government's approach of waiting for a report from a non-health body to guide its decisions.

The areas involved included communications, industry as well as health, he said.

It would have been "inappropriate" for Ms Roxon to join the health ministers' initiative when the Federal Government's role was to weigh up a number of areas including health and communications policy.

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