About 70% support 9pm watershed on junk food adverts
A survey commissioned by the Obesity Health Alliance (OHA) has shown huge public support for further restriction on junk food advertising.
The survey found that around 70% of the population believe that junk food marketing contributes to childhood obesity.
Similar percentages want to see junk food adverts only allowed after 9pm on the internet, TV and in other digital marketing (eg cinemas, bus stops).
According to the OHA, one in three children in England leaves primary school with overweight or obesity, increasing their risk of developing serious health conditions like Type 2 diabetes, cancer, heart and liver disease in later life.
With the Government preparing to launch a consultation on advertising restrictions as part of its Childhood Obesity Plan, the OHA said it believes the time is now to send a clear message to industry and the public that advertising junk food to children is unacceptable.
The OHA is a 44-strong alliance of health charities, medical colleges and campaign groups including Cancer Research UK and the British Medical Association.
The current regulations around junk food advertising were introduced by Labour for TV in 2007 and extended to the non-broadcast environment in 2017.
These restrict junk food adverts when a TV show, film or website is designed specifically for children or considered to be ‘of particular appeal’ to them.
The OHA said there are loopholes in these rules. Firstly, they do not cover the times when children are most likely to be watching shows like the X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent, between 6pm and 9pm – so-called ‘family viewing time’.
Secondly, existing rules to do not cover the vast array of channels and outlets through which children consume media in 2019. Children’s media time is split between watching TV, going online using their mobile phone and playing games on gaming devices.
Malcolm Clark, Policy Manager at Cancer Research UK said:
“Young children who spent more than half an hour a day online, where advertising can be prolific, were almost twice as likely to pester their parents for junk food, according to a recent Cancer Research UK report.
There is strong evidence that suggests time spent online and watching TV increases the likelihood that children will ask for, buy and eat more unhealthy foods. If they didn’t, then the food industry wouldn’t spend so much on advertising.”
Commenting on the OHA’s survey, Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson Judith Jolly said:
“With obesity as one of the leading causes of cancer, there is increasingly concern about the childhood obesity epidemic throughout the UK.
“The Conservative Government have failed to take these concerns seriously. So far all we have seen from the Tories is an unambitious strategy on Childhood Obesity that will do little to solve the problem.
“Children deserve better and Liberal Democrats demand better. We believe it is time to end junk food marketing on TV before 9pm as well as measures to stop junk food marketing online.“
In its 2017 manifesto, the Labour party promised to publish a new childhood obesity strategy within its first 100 days of government, with proposals on advertising and food labelling.
The Conservative Party manifesto did not mention junk food advertising.
Joe Lo is a freelance journalist and a reporter for Left Foot Forward
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