Post: Junk Food Ad Regulation Proposals Don't Please British Health Activists
Junk Food Ad Regulation Proposals Don't Please British Health Activists
In 2004, the British government released a report on public health suggesting that kids shouldn't be encouraged to eat junk food, and that regulation of junk food ads on TV might be necessary to curb childhood obesity.
After months of hearings on the issue, Ofcom, the body responsible for regulating the British airwaves, has set forth three proposals for regulating junk food ads -- none of which has appeased proponents of junk food ad bans. While the proposals would ban the use celebrities and TV characters in junk food ads aimed at kids under 10, Ofcom has rejected the request of activists to consider a ban on all junk food ads before 9 p.m.
Peter Hollins, the director general of the British Heart Foundation, told The Guardian newspaper that Ofcom has set aside the interests of families and kids:
"Ofcom appears to have lost sight of the brief it was given to protect children from bombardment by junk food advertising, and now seems more concerned with protecting the interests of broadcasters and advertisers."
This squabble has prompted the National Heart Forum to take Ofcom to court. Read the full story here.
And the UK isn't the only place where junk food ads have created a heated debate. A proposed ban on ads aimed at kids has also proved controversial in Australia (read more here).