Fast-food chains are alluring children towards their products by sending direct mails to children under 12 years of age and offering them special schemes, free food vouchers and competitions.

The marketing campaigns targeting pre-teens by fast-food outlets Hungry Jacks and Taco Bill Mexican Restaurants have come to light due to submission by nation's coalition of leading health bodies to a Senate inquiry on privacy laws.

There have been calls from the Obesity Policy Coalition including the World Health Organisation, Diabetes Australia, VicHealth and Cancer Council of Victoria to the Federal Government to bar direct mail marketing to children without the consent of their parents.

Jane Martin, Senior Policy Officer of Obesity Policy Coalition told that Hungry Jacks was making use of its kids club to market its offerings.

As per the submission, Hungry Jacks and Taco Bill have been alluring children by offering them free meals for their birthdays, free ice cream vouchers and offers such as AFL finger puppets.

''Children's susceptibility to commercial influence means that use of their personal information for direct marketing unfairly manipulates them, and is likely to harm them in other ways", says the submission. It added that such promotional activities could influence children to take unhealthy diets, which could make them obese or overweight.