Australian teenage boys consume more fast food, salty snacks and sugary drinks than adolescent girls, according to a new survey.
They also are more susceptible to junk food marketing, prompting a call for more education and less TV advertising up to 9pm.
The findings of the 2012-13 national secondary students' diet and activity survey, involving 8,888 children from 196 schools, were released by Cancer Council and the National Heart Foundation.
It found 46 per cent of teenage boys were regular consumers of fast food, 28 per cent of sugary drinks and 63 per cent of salty snacks.
This compared to 34 per cent of girls for fast food, 14 per cent for the drinks and 53 per cent for the snacks.
The boys were more likely to be influenced by multimedia marketing techniques involving giveaways, competitions or links with movies or sports personalities.
They also were more likely to be obese or overweight compared to girls despite being more physically active, said Cancer Council's Kathy Chapman.
"A barrage of increasingly sophisticated junk food marketing is undermining teenage boys longer-term health, highlighting the urgent need for measures to protect them," she said.
"Fast food companies invest tens of millions of dollars in advertising during programs watched by teenagers because mass-media advertising works."
Ms Chapman said junk food advertising needed to be curbed during TV programs popular with teenagers, suggesting they could be restricted until 9pm.
"There's also a need to see more government investment in healthy eating campaigns and the importance of having a healthy weight.
"But we also have to make sure that these sorts of healthy eating messages are not drowned out by such a proliferation of junk food marketing out there."
And sports codes should set a good example for their many young fans by making sure they had healthy sponsors, she said.
BOYS AND GIRLS AND FAST FOOD: THE FACTS
- 29 per cent of boys chose a food or drink linked with a movie or sports personality they liked, compared to 19 per cent of girls
- 40 per cent of boys chose a fast food outlet because of a special offer or giveaway with the meal, compared 30 per cent of girls
- 25 per cent of boys chose a snack food or soft drink to enter a competition or win a prize, compared 15 per cent of girls
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