Total ban on junk food ads for kids
Friday, 17 Nov 2006 19:52
Ads for fast food will see tougher restrictions
Companies are facing a total ban on advertising products which are high in fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) before, during and after programmes that are geared towards children under 16.
Programmes will be affected on all channels and at all times of the day.
New rules put forward by the media regulator Ofcom would also ban the use of celebrities, characters, free gifts and nutritional claims in the advertising of products aimed at primary school children.
The announcement comes as part of a drive to tackle the nation's growing problem of childhood obesity and follows a public consultation involving a variety of individuals and organisations.
According to Department of Health statistics, one million children could be obese by 2010 unless steps are taken to halt this rise.
Announcing the decision this morning, Ofcom chief executive Ed Richards said: "Based on the evidence and analysis we believe the case for intervention is clear. We will introduce significant but proportionate measures to protect children under 16."
He added: "We will look to advertisers and broadcasters to follow both the spirit as well as the letter of the rules we are putting in place."
A short consultation period will be launched to determine whether restrictions on advertising can be extended further to further protect the under 16s.
Responding to the announcement, Liberal Democrat culture, media and sport spokesman Don Foster said: "With up to 20 per cent of our children overweight or obese, Ofcom's sensible proposals are only the start. The food industry must now play its part and Ofcom must agree that, if evidence shows these measures aren't working, the rules must get tougher still.
But Richard Watts, campaign coordinator for Sustain's children's food campaign, argues that the rules must get tougher now, not in the future.
"Ofcom's announcement is deeply disappointing. They have caved-in to the powerful food and advertising lobby. A 21:00 GMT watershed for junk food adverts is the only way to seriously tackle the childhood obesity epidemic."
He added: "Ofcom's remit meant they always had to balance the economic health of industry against the actual health of children, so their recommendations were never going to go far enough. It is now up to the government to step in and protect children from junk food adverts before 21:00 GMT."
And Dr Vivienne Nathanson, head of science and ethics at the BMA, said: "Ofcom clearly believes that TV advertising has an effect on children's eating habits, yet it does not have the courage to recommend a more comprehensive ban.
"Isn't the health of our children more important than advertising revenues?"
But the government has defended Ofcom's decision in what it describes as a "complex" case.
Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell said: "Ofcom have sought to strike a balance which promotes the health of our children, but also considers the impact on our broadcasting industries, while taking a proportionate view based on the evidence of the likely impact on the range and quality of TV programmes for children."
Ofcom estimates that in households where children watch a lot of adult and children's television programmes, the new rules will result in children under 16 seeing 41 per cent fewer HFSS advertisements. For the under nines this reduction would be 51 per cent.
The cost to broadcast revenues is predicted to be £39 million per year, falling to around £23 million as broadcasters mitigate their losses over time.
Commercial public broadcasters (ITV plc, GMTV, Channel 4, and five) could lose up to 0.7 per cent of their revenues, Ofcom estimates.
Changes to advertisements will come into effect from January 2007. All advertising must conform to the rules by June 2007, although restrictions will be phased in over two years for dedicated children's channels where the ability to substitute revenues from food and drink advertising would be more difficult to achieve quickly.
The effectiveness and scope of the rules will be reviewed in autumn 2008.