Call for children's food ad curbs

Citation

(2007), "Call for children's food ad curbs", Nutrition & Food Science, Vol. 37 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/nfs.2007.01737bab.004

Call for children's food ad curbs

The charter asks countries to look at how unhealthy food is marketed to children.

The World Health Organization held a conference in Turkey, it is expected, the charter on advertising will be adopted. In the UK, broadcasting regulator Ofcom is set to make its recommendations on junk food advertising.

Ofcom has said it does not believe a total ban is necessary. But health campaigners are calling for a complete ban on advertising of unhealthy foods before the 9 pm watershed.

The draft WHO charter says: "Special attention needs to be focussed on vulnerable groups such as children and adolescents, whose credulity should not be exploited by commercial activities".

There are statutory bans on advertising in Norway and Sweden, guidelines in Finland and Ireland and self-regulation by the advertising and media industries in the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain.

France has said all TV ads for processed foods, or products with added fat, sweeteners or salt must carry a health warning – or the advertiser must help fund health campaigns.

Britain has the highest climbing rate of childhood obesity in Europe. By 2010, one million children in the UK are expected to be classed as obese.

Professor Phil James, chairman of the International Association for the Study of Obesity, said something had to be done. He said adverts must be restricted, and healthy diet and exercise promoted.

Cathy Moulton, care adviser at Diabetes UK, said action was needed if the UK was to avoid the prospect of "tens of thousands" of children affected by Type 2 diabetes, a condition which until recently was only seen in adults. She added: "We will then see a generation of children suffering a drop in life expectancy as they develop the serious complications of diabetes".