Stop advertising that makes children fat
One in five UK children are overweight when they start school. This rises to one in three by the time children reach 10 and 11 years old.
The costs of obesity to our healthcare system are significant. In 2007, the NHS calculated the cost of obesity at PS2.3 billion. The cost of obesity to the NHS is estimated to be PS2.3 billion in 2007.
Further restrictions on advertising junk food to children are being discussed as part of a range of measures to combat this problem.
The Committee of Advertising Practice has launched a consultation to consider a tightening of industry standards, potentially bringing them more in line with the a The Committee of Advertising Practice launched a consultation to examine tightening industry standards and possibly bringing them closer to legislation that governs unhealthy food advertisements to children on TV.
In addition, the consultation will look at ways to “creatively” promote healthy food by allowing celebrities and characters.
, which represents over 370 councils in England, recently called on boards to have the authority to ban junk food advertising near schools and nurseries, as well as children’s centers.
If councils want to limit food and drink advertisements near schools, they must apply to the Secretary of State and then go through a consultation period before a final decision is made. It seems absurd and burdensome to have to go through this process, especially when we consider the negative impact of food and beverage advertising on children’s well-being.
Shaping the Future
The UK’s children are accustomed to an environment that is ” obesogenic ” or ” obese-promoting. ” The term is used to describe the result of an increasingly processed, affordable, and well-marketed food system. It is a simple formula: if more food is available, people will eat it, especially if the food has been persuasively marketed.
Colonel Sanders with his famous chicken. Lucian Milasan/Shutterstock
Marketers are targeting children as a very important market. Children have independent purchasing power. The average UK weekly pocket money is currently PS6.20, and this number is rising twice as quickly as parents’ earnings. The children can also influence family purchases. No parent wants to deal with a screaming kid in the supermarket. These children will be the teenagers and adults of tomorrow – any loyalty that is fostered today could bring a food company a lifetime’s worth of sales.
Research shows that exposure to unhealthy food advertisements has a negative impact on the diet of children. In response to ads for unhealthy food, children are more likely to choose the product advertised, prefer high-fat and sugary foods, and consume more. During the last decade, consumption outside the home increased in the UK by 29%, and the number of fast-food outlets has also grown.
A UK study found that greater exposure across the community, at work, and in commuter environments was also associated with increased takeaway consumption, an increase in body mass index, and a greater likelihood of obesity.
Mixed messages
We have a National Healthy Schools Programme, which promotes healthy food in schools. Outside of school, kids are inundated with persuasive and engaging advertisements for junk food. These include those on television, the internet, outdoor billboards, and sporting events.
