A GROUP of more than 100 diabetes experts has called for laws banning all forms of advertising of "unhealthy foods" that targets children.
The specialists, brought to together by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, looked at all the evidence available on how best to tackle rising rates of Type 2 diabetes, which they said was a major health threat.
They concluded that one measure would be to ban advertising directed at children for unhealthy products – such as fast food, crisps, chocolate and sugary drinks – to combat the obesity which increases the risk of Type 2 diabetes.
The group said current restrictions on television advertising during children's programmes should extend to all ads, including those in newspapers, magazines and on billboards, to stop an increase in the number of obese youngsters.
In January 2008, a total ban on adverts for unhealthy food and drink products around TV programmes for under-16s came into force.
The experts said preventing an increase in the number of youngsters who are obese would cut the risk of more people developing Type 2 diabetes.
The group also called for tighter regulations of the food, drink and catering industry following their meeting last week.
Dr Scott Ramsay, lead organiser of the event, said: "Rates of obesity and diabetes are increasing at alarming rates and pose one of the most serious health challenges of this time.
"In response to this, diabetes experts from across the UK have come together to call on the Scottish and UK governments to demonstrate greater leadership in tackling this crisis.
"In particular we believe that the lessons from effective legislation on smoking should be used to promote healthier diets, increased physical activity and to inform transport and planning policy.
"This should involve tighter regulation of the food and drink industry and the extension of restrictions on 'less healthy' food and drink advertising in children's television programmes to all forms of advertising aimed at children."
The recommendations will be sent to the Scottish Government and the Department of Health at Westminster.
Bridget Turner, head of policy at charity Diabetes UK, said: "As a result of increasing obesity levels among young people in the UK, we are now seeing cases of Type 2 diabetes – historically a condition to affect the over-40s – in children as young as seven.
"This situation was almost unheard of just 20 years ago and should act as the wake-up call for the new coalition government to urgently push through legislation to ban all junk food advertising aimed at children."
However, Ian Barber of the Advertising Association said there was little evidence that advertising was a main driving factor behind obesity. "Advertising might influence which brand you choose, but there is very little evidence that it drives consumption," he said.
A spokeswoman for the Scottish Government said: "Television advertising is reserved to Westminster, but the Scottish Government has introduced a range of measures to improve children's diets and encourage them to be more active."
http://news.scotsman.com/health/Call-for-junk-food-ads.6298171.jp
Lee Tuck Chong (10S25)
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7 comments:
I agree that eating disorders such as obesity are on the rise all around the world and advetisements do play a significant role in the incerasing numbers.
Advertisements influence the children in a negative way in terms of displaying mouth-watering and scrumptious delicacies such as junk food like McDonalds', KFC, and many more delicious food items that children find hard to resist.This results in the over consumption of junk food by even children as young as seven.
However, advertisements may not be the only driving factor that makes the children crave for such junk food.There may be other reasons such as ignorance on the part of parents.Such factors cause the children to suffer dreadful disorders such as diabetes at such young age.
I hope such measures taken by the government will pay off by reducing the increasing numbers of young age diabetes patients.
I approve of the junk food ads ban on television.Despite advertiser's claims that ads have no relationship to the growing obesity rate,studies have shown that young children aren't able to understand the true purpose of ads and trust everything the ad's says is true and ads can strongly persuade the child.
However, to put full responsibility of the growing obesity rate on television is not entirely true. There are several other factors that influences a child nutritional intake. For example the role of a parent is important, as they are able to inform and advise what they eat and their ability to provide them home cooked meals.
I would like to know whether the ban was successfully implemented. There is a lucrative profit to be earned in showing this advertisements and it will face strong resistance, notably from the television and fast food restruant industries.
Daryl Wong
10S16
Eating disorders may be due to the cause of the increasing advertisements promoting junk food.However,there are a few factors that play a part leading to these eating disorders and advertisements only play a small part of it.
Taking down advertisements would slightly decrease the number of patrons.However,a better implementation is promoting a healthy lifestyle for the society.For example,Singapore implemented an A.C.T.I.V.E day programme for citizens to participate and be more self-conscious of their own body.
This concludes on how the implementation of a ban can only play a small role in changing the diet of an individual.However, by changing the mindset and way of life of an individual would be a more effective way to achieve better permanent results in the long run.
Nurul Azlynn 10S16
While I agree that the marketing of such junk foods
While I do agree that the marketing of such foods wil cause children to become obese and hence be at a higher risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, I believe the problem lies with the parents of these children who are the ones who ether buy or give them money to buy these foods.
i approve of the banning of such advertisement. however, it is not the only way to solve the obesity problem. this is because these junk food are often very enticing and by putting them up on displays for sales, people would buy it, even though there is no advertisement to promote it. instead, i think there is a need to promote health campaign to educate the public instead.
lai hoi (bing!)
10S16
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