New research shows consumers are put off from eating junk food when confronted with graphic health warnings.

The study, from the University of Melbourne and Cancer Council, has reignited debate about whether labels are needed to combat rising obesity levels in Australia.

Examples of the warnings provided to participants in the study below

Behavioural researcher at Cancer Council Victoria Helen Dixon told Neil Mitchell the study showed how people respond to snack foods and what influences their food choices.

“What we found with this study was that if you show people some heath warnings about unhealthy foods and how it affects you before they were presented with unhealthy snack foods, it changed the way they responded to them,” she said.

“It kicked in a more conscious rational decision.

“We could see the health warnings were affecting the way they made decisions about food.”

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