The former chair of the federal government's preventative health taskforce has called for tougher regulation of the food industry, saying Tony Abbott's personal fitness example will only go so far in tackling problems like obesity.
Professor Rob Moodie says spiralling rates of obesity require drastic measures such as junk food advertising restrictions, recommended by the taskforce he chaired from 2008 to 2011, but ignored by Labor.
The Melbourne University public health expert said Australia's fitness junkie prime minister was only "half right" in providing a model of personal responsibility.
"I reckon it's great that he's out there doing activity, it's an incredibly important part of what we need to do, but what we actually do is defined by a lot more things than just personal responsibility," Prof Moodie told AAP on Tuesday.
"All indications are that particularly around diabetes associated with obesity, then the (health) system will be swamped by both demand and by cost."
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Health Minister Peter Dutton has said the new coalition government will not introduce "heavy handed" restrictions on the food industry.
But Professor Moodie said self-regulation had failed without the threat of government intervention.
"Trying to do it as a voluntary measure really just doesn't work, unless governments are really pushing and encouraging it and saying 'if you don't do it, we'll do it'," he said.
"Their power is enormous. If you thought the tobacco companies were big, then these are guys are way bigger. Who invented Santa Claus? Coke."
