Proposal To Ban Internet Junk Food Ads

Youngsters should be protected from exploitative marketing techniques used on the internet, as well as from television advertising, as part of an all out bid to halt the rise in childhood obesity, according to the public health think tank, the International Obesity TaskForce (IOTF).

The IOTF said that an internationally enforceable code was needed to give clear principles for governments, industry and others to follow.

At an international congress on obesity taking place in Sydney, Australia this week, the International Association for the Study of Obesity (IASO), of which the IOTF is a member, said that there should be a ban of all advertising junk foods and non-nutritious foods aimed at children.

Professor Boyd Swinburn, president of the Australasian Society for the Study of Obesity, who convened the IOTF group which developed the proposals, said: “At the moment, the need to protect children from commercial exploitation was being largely overlooked by the food and advertising industries. We need to recognize that everyone in society has a responsibility to ensure we provide healthy environments for children, and also to seek the highest standards.”

Ofcom has recently been considering how much HFSS food advertising aimed at children their should be allowed on television, with several options being considered, including a ban on food and drink advertising on terrestrial channels at times when children are likely to be watching (see Ofcom Handed New Junk Food Ads For Kids Proposal).

IOTF: www.iotf.org