ISBA Responds To DEMOS ‘Unhealthy Food’ Ad Levy Proposal

ISBA has hit back against a proposed levy on the advertising of fatty, highly processed and fast foods proposed by left of centre think tank DEMOS in a report last week.

The levy would fund a national Health Promotion Agency to promote fruit and vegetables, but ISBA thinks that blame for bad eating habits should not be laid at the door of TV advertising. Malcolm Earnshaw, ISBA director general, said: “We believe that DEMOS’ proposals are an emotive and irrational reaction to public concerns over growing levels of obesity. The recommendations [in the report] place a disproportionate burden on advertisers to address what are very complex social issues, including food accessability and dietary choices.”

He continued: “DEMOS have failed to acknowledge the wealth of research evidence which confirms that TV advertising is only one of many factors which influence diet. The research has confirmed that there is no such thing as ‘unhealthy’ food, only unhealthy diets and lifestyles. ISBA maintains that there is no significant direct effect of TV advertising on consumption of specific foods. We therefore believe it is unfair to single out and tax particular types of food advertising, as there is no one category of foods responsible for food accessibility problems and dietary issues in the UK.”

ISBA: 020 7499 7502 www.isba.org.uk

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