A BORDER dietician is calling for junk food to be banned from all local playgrounds and sporting facilities in a bid to combat childhood obesity.

Kerryn O’Brien said Albury and Wodonga councils should ban what she calls “muck food” from recreational areas.

The call comes after the City of Port Phillip banned junk food from South Melbourne’s Skinners Adventure Playground.

“This might sound a bit over the top, but we need to do something about junk food,” she said.

“There are too many people eating it, and it’s an ‘every day’ rather than a ‘sometimes’ food for too many children.

“Too many kids are becoming overweight and obese.

“Sometimes you have to take drastic action to make changes in the community.”

Ms O’Brien said having junk food available at swimming pools and sports stadiums defeated the purpose of exercise, as people underestimated the calories in unhealthy food.

“They think being active burns off the calories, but we drastically underestimate that ability,” she said.

“We might be active, but we’re nowhere near as active as we need to be to burn off the calories in muck food.”

Junk food should not be eaten daily or even weekly, she said, with once a month more appropriate.

Border nutrition consultant Anita Star said she also supported the bans.

“We know that children are eating less fruit and vegetables and are eating way to much processed, high fat, sugar and salt foods,” she said.

“These foods over the long-term cause all sorts of problems.

“If we can get them into good habits early, that should set them up for life.”

Wodonga Council does not have plans to implement any junk food bans and Albury Council did not provide comment.