Junk food advertising ‘putting children’s health at risk’
Children’s health is being put at risk because of junk food advertising, according to a warning from a leading health group.
The Food Commission revealed that the food-industry’s global advertising budget is £24.6 billion ($40 billion), is greater than the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of 70% of the world’s nations. In industrialised countries, food advertising accounts for around half of all advertising broadcast during children’s TV viewing times with three-quarters of such food adverts promote high-calorie, low-nutrient foods.
Kath Dalmeny, co-author of the Food Commission report warned that junk foods and sugary drinks are supported by advertising campaigns that dwarf any attempts to educate children on the benefits of a healthy diet.
For every $1 spent by the World Health Organization (WHO) on preventing the diseases caused by western diets, more than $500 is spent by the food industry promoting their food and drinks.
The Commission criticised KFC, Burger King, McDonald’s, Kinder, Mars, Cadbury’s, Nestl , Coca-Cola and Pepsi for particularly targeting children with free toys, cartoon characters, gimmicky packaging and interactive websites.
Ms Dalmeny commented, “Junk food advertisers know that children are especially susceptible to marketing messages. They target children as young as two years old with free toys, cartoon characters, gimmicky packaging and interactive websites to ensure that children pester their parents for the products.”
The Commission called for international controls on the marketing of high-calorie, low-nutrient food to children. Hershey, McDonald’s, Tate & Lyle, Cadbury’s, Pepsi, Coca-Cola, Heinz and Nestl have been warned by the international investment bank UBS Warburg and the international share analyst JP Morgan that their profits and share prices would be hit because they rely on selling fatty and sugary foods, which are likely to be the subject of future regulation.
