Global Initiative Launched To End Junk Food Ads
More than 50 consumer groups have launched a worldwide campaign to reduce the marketing of unhealthy food to children.
Among other things, the new voluntary code calls for tight restrictions on both television and Internet advertising, prohibits the marketing of junk food in schools, and would end the use of celebrities and cartoon characters in the advertising of unhealthy foods.
However, in Britain, manufacturers of these foods have said banning advertisements would offer no "silver bullet".
According to the U.N.’s World Health Organization, up to 177 million children around the world are threatened by obesity-related illnesses. It is expected that by 2015 2.3 billion people over age 15 will be overweight.
The new campaign is supported by London’s International Obesity Task Force, which says that the large amount of advertising money spent each year is partly to blame for the problem.
The group’s chairman, Professor Philip James, told BBC News, "It is vital that, as well as governments, food industry leaders support the new standards we propose.
"We challenge the giants of the food and beverage industry to throw their weight behind this and demonstrate they really do want to be part of the solution, not part of the problem."
The voluntary code focuses on foods high in fat, sugar and salt, and would ban advertising of these foods between 6am and 9pm. It further calls for a complete end to Internet and other new media advertising, and prohibits the use of celebrities or cartoon characters, competitions or free gifts.
The organization "Which?" is one of the 50 participating consumer groups. Its chief policy officer Sue Davies told BBC News, "With rising rates of obesity and diet-related disease escalating globally, food companies need to take a more responsible approach to the way they market their foods to children, whichever part of the world they are trading in."
Some parts of the world, including the European Union, already have in place some restrictions on the marketing of junk food to children. For example, British television regulator Ofcom introduced a ban on junk food advertising during children’s programming that took effect in January.
A spokesman for the UK’s Food and Drink Federation, which represents the industry, told BBC News, "As far as marketing in the UK is concerned, we are now one of the most heavily-regulated markets in Europe.
"As a result the marketing landscape has dramatically changed recently – for example in addition to the new regulations, many of our leading member companies are developing new codes of practice or strengthening their existing ones.
"These codes of practice apply to products popular with children, and the codes are implemented globally.
"Restricting advertising of food and drinks to children is not the silver bullet to solve the complex issue of obesity."
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