Ofcom Rules Out “Ineffective” Ban On Junk Food Ads
Media super-regulator, Ofcom, has ruled out a ban on junk food advertising during children’s television programmes, branding such measures as “ineffective” in the publication of research commissioned by culture secretary Tessa Jowell.
According to the regulator, a ban on the advertising of unhealthy foods would “be both ineffective and disproportionate in its wider impact.” Ofcom’s reasoning for the decision hinges upon the impact of advertising on the eating habits of young viewers.
The report stated: “Evidence shows that television advertising has a modest direct effect on children’s food consumption. However, the significance of this is small when compared to other factors potentially linked to childhood obesity such as exercise, trends in family eating habits inside and outside the home, parents’ demographics, school policy, public understanding of nutrition, food labelling and other forms of food promotion.”
Ofcom’s research found that 70% of children’s television viewing occurred outside timeslots traditionally defined as ‘children’s airtime’. The regulator also concluded that a ban would “undermine the likely investment in children’s programming on commercial television”, a consequence of which being reduced choice and innovation for younger audiences.
Explaining the regulator’s decision, Ofcom chief executive Stephen Carter said: “Childhood obesity is a public health concern which experts in nutrition, health and education, the Government and the food industry are rightly addressing.”
He added: “Television advertising clearly has an influence and equally clearly there is a need for a tightening of specific rules. However, a total ban would be neither proportionate nor, in isolation, effective.”
However, advertisers can not yet be certain that a ban will not be put in place in the future. Ofcom has stated that, once the Food Standards Agency has completed a nutritional profile of all food products, the conclusions will be examined and the Advertising Code could be amended to reflect the findings.
The debate over child obesity has raged since the beginning of the year, when research from the Food Standards Agency demonstrated a link between food commercials and children’s deteriorating eating habits (see Junk Food Ads Found To Influence Children’s Diets).
Tessa Jowell also entered the debate, called for advertising agencies to use their ‘creativity’ to promote healthier lifestyles in order to side-step a ban on advertising to children (see Advertisers Urged To Use Creativity In Obesity Battle).
Ofcom: 020 7981 3040 www.ofcom.org.uk
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