Childhood Obesity time to stop passing the buck on says Consumers' Association

Main Category: Obesity / Weight Loss / Fitness
Article Date: 24 Jul 2004 - 9:00 PDT

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Responding to the Ofcom research on food advertising to children, today, Sue Davies, Principal Policy Adviser, Consumers' Association, said:

"There is insurmountable evidence to show that advertising influences the foods that children choose. While it may be just one of a number of measures contributing to the diet and health crisis, the government cannot afford to belittle its importance.

"The conclusions of the Ofcom report will do little to address the diet and health crisis. This is yet another example of the government passing the buck from one department to another to avoid tackling the crisis. The time for stalling is over.

"A range of measures is needed to solve the diet and health crisis but it will be difficult to get kids to eat more healthily as long as TV advertisers are allowed to bombard them with messages about unhealthy foods.

"We would like to see the White Paper commit to brave solutions where others have failed. These must include the implementation of advertising restrictions so that foods high in fat, sugar and salt are not advertised during children's viewing times."

Notes to editor

For a copy of Consumers' Association's "Health Warning to Government" report, including research on parents' views on advertising or the Which? report "Marketing Food To Kids", e-mail samantha.flack@which.co.uk.

Consumer's Association.................http://www.which.net