Doctors urge 'shock tactics' on obesity

PARKVILLE, Australia, Jan. 2 (UPI) -- The Australian Medical Association is urging the government to use shock tactics in television commercials warning of the risks of eating fatty foods.

Doctors have proposed to the government of Victoria television and newspaper advertisements costing $25 million to graphically show the effects of fat on the body's internal organs as part of a public health campaign about obesity, the Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported Sunday.

Dr. Gary Speck of the Australian Medical Association Victoria says the commercials would be modeled on U.S. ads that show people downing huge amounts of sugar and fat.

"The male in the ad had a huge amount of fat; I think it's 10 pounds of fat," Speck said. "And alternatively (he) eats a number of sachets (packets) of sugar to illustrate how much sugar the drink has."

Speck says those kinds of advertisements would encourage people to make healthier food choices.

"It's trying to bring it to people's attention to realize that it's not a good pattern of eating or drinking," he said. "It's a matter of being aware that if you eat those things you've got to take that into account."