05.09.12
Watershed for unhealthy food advertising – RCPCH
Advertising for junk food should be banned before the 9pm watershed to tackle youth obesity, the RCPCH has proposed.
President of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Children’s Health, Dr Hilary Cass, has called for a clampdown on advertising unhealthy foods high in salt, sugar or fat where children can see it.
Dr Cass said: “Although they are trying to avoid junk food advertising around specific children's programmes, you've still got it around soaps and other programmes that children watch. So the only realistic way to do it is to have no junk food advertising before the watershed in any programmes at all.
“When children see the adverts they start nagging their parents to get them a McDonald's or whatever. They see something at 6pm on the telly and want a McDonald's that night. It's a similar thing to having sweets at the checkout – get to them then.”
She has also suggested that the Government should examine the viability of ‘fat taxes’ to reduce the consumption of unhealthy foods.
But Sue Eustace, the Advertising Association’s director of public affairs, said: “This call for a watershed ignores the academic evidence and risks overlooking the real causes of childhood obesity.
“Advertising in the UK has an exemplary record in complying with one of the strictest regulatory regimes in Europe, and is already playing its part with constructive changes to the volume, visibility and content of food ads.”
Tell us what you think – have your say below, or email us directly at [email protected]