LiveLighter urges cricket fans to hit junk food for six

23/01/2015

LiveLighter urges cricket fans to hit junk food for six

Junk food marketing during elite sporting events has reached an all-time low, with one of the most unhealthy meal options heavily promoted by KFC during the cricket coverage this summer.

This season, KFC has created specific meals to encourage cricket lovers to eat KFC at their ‘Home Cricket Ground’ while watching the coverage on television.

Research conducted by WA’s LiveLighter campaign has found that KFC’s HCG Box contains 70 per cent of a person’s energy needs for the day (based on the recommended average energy requirement of 8,700 kilojoules per day).

The HCG Box consists of a Zinger Works burger, Salt & Vinegar Shaker Popcorn Chicken, a regular serving of chips, a regular serving of potato and gravy and a can of soft drink.

“KFC’s Home Cricket Ground campaign encourages unhealthy eating and sitting, which should not be associated with Australia’s most popular summer sport,” Heart Foundation WA Chief Executive Maurice Swanson said.

According to LiveLighter’s research, it would take a cricketer almost two and a half hours at the crease to burn off just one HCG Box. This one meal also contributes 80 per cent of the daily maximum fat intake, and a whopping 163 per cent of a person’s maximum salt intake for the day.

“It’s ironic that KFC is the major sponsor of the domestic Twenty20 competition. Even if you batted an entire Big Bash innings, you would still not have burnt off the kilojoules in their HCG Box,” Mr Swanson said.

Parents too are concerned about KFCs sponsorship of the Big Bash. LiveLighter surveyed 155 West Australian parents. More than three-quarters (78.7%) felt that this sponsorship encourages children to associate junk food with elite sport. The majority (63.2%) of parents surveyed also supported restrictions on unhealthy food and drink companies sponsoring elite sport.

On the eve of the Twenty20 finals, LiveLighter has produced an infographic to reinforce the message that the HCG Box is not a good option to be eating while watching the cricket.

With Perth Scorchers scoring a home semi final this Sunday, LiveLighter would like to wish them luck in defending their Big Bash title – Go Scorchers!

To download the infographic, visit www.livelighter.com.au/kfc-infographic.

-ends-

Media contact:
Mr Maurice Swanson
T: (08) 9382 5901
E: media@livelighter.com.au

The Facts:

Pilot study shows that batsmen burn approx. 2536 kJ/hr: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17875403

KFC’s HCG Box nutrition information panel:

Nutrient	Per meal (with Pepsi soft drink)
Energy (kJ)	6141
Protein (g)	65.8
Fat (g) -          Saturated fat (g)	66.7 11
Carbohydrates (g) -          Sugar (g)	163.2 60.4
Sodium (mg)	3749