Junk Food Advertising in the UK

According to an article by the BBC, the World Health Organization figures, to 177 million children worldwide are threatened by obesity-related diseases, and it is predicted that 2.3 billion people over 15 years old will be overweight by the year 2015.

The chairman of the London-based International Obesity Task Force, Professor Philip James, said: "It is vital that, as well as governments, food industry leaders support the new standards we propose.”

The codes that the International Obesity task force as well as many other consumer groups are calling for are attempting to ban on unhealthy food promotion in schools and an end to the use of celebrities and cartoon characters. The Obesity Task force states that several billion pounds that are spent each year advertising food or soft drinks are at least partly to blame. Children are extremely impressionable and all the advertising towards the children is having a profound effect on the amount of junk food children are consuming. This can be easily proved by the rising cases of childhood obesity in London and though out the world.

The new codes concentrate on foods high in fat, sugar and salt. In addition to a ban on advertising between 6am and 9pm, the codes asks for a complete end to internet and new media advertising including celebrities or cartoon characters, competitions or free gifts. As a kid I personally used to love these contests and free gifts. I remember ripping off box tops and sending them into the company to get a free cartoon watch or whatever it was that I simply needed to have a that moment. I suppose all of that is coming to an end now.

The UK television regulator Ofcom has already introduced a ban on marketing unhealthy foods in adverts during shows aimed at children that came into effect in January. These new codes are simply trying to strengthen the existing bans and further restrict these advertising practices.