However, educating adults to then teach their kids about good eating habits and regular exercise is just as important.

Yes, a tax on unhealthy foods would make it more difficult for some people to afford them, but it wouldn’t deter a lot of people from actually making an unhealthy purchase.

For all of our spruiking of an outdoor lifestyle, Australia has one of the highest rates of obesity in the world, with 63 per cent of adults and one in four children being overweight or obese.

If parents want to raise a generation of healthy, active people, they should lead by example when it comes to healthy eating and exercise.

Now four national health organisations have united to urge the federal government to launch a national obesity strategy, including the introduction of a tax on sugary drinks.

The Consumers Health Forum, Heart Foundation, Obesity Policy Coalition and Public Health Association of Australia believe a sugary drink tax would improve childhood health and help stem the cost of obesity, which is estimated at $56 billion a year.

During a survey of 1016 people, the groups found 77 per cent of Australians support making the health star system mandatory for packaged food, they say. The voluntary star rating labels in December in which products are scored between half a star and five stars according to their energy, fat, sugar and salt content.

The health groups also want federal Health Minister Sussan Ley to tighten junk food marketing regulations.

The Consumers Health Forum says industry and government are essential providers of information about healthy eating and nutrition.

“Improving information availability and not ‘blaming’ consumers for being obese, will create winners all round,” says the forum’s chief executive Adam Stankevicius.

Quick fixes like those portrayed in reality TV shows, fad diets which only work for a few months and magic pills purported to help reduce weight are only short-term solutions. It’s an overall improvement in what we put in our mouths and how often we get off the couch and exercise that will really help.