Ban on junk food adverts before 9pm being considered

[DCUK NewsBot]

Junk food adverts could be banned before 9pm as part of government plans to tackle childhood obesity, it has been reported. Ministers are expected to launch a consultation which will consider the move to outlaw such advertisements on television and radio, according to a report by the Daily Telegraph. Websites could also face tougher restrictions in the plans outlined and agreed last week by the Health Secretary Matt Hancock. There are already bans in place for advertising around children's TV programmes, but the paper says ministers are still concerned that "significant amounts" of adverts are promoting foods and drinks high in sugar. Additionally, research from broadcasting watchdog Ofcom suggested youngsters watch programmes not intended for them for a combined 64% of their TV viewing time. Junk food producers plough £143 million annually into advertising in the UK, while only £5 million is spent by the government on adverts promoting healthy eating, according to the Obesity Health Alliance. Eating healthily, by restricting sugar intake and eating plenty of real-food, can help to lower the risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes as well as other health complications. Cancer Research UK last year revealed that youngsters aged six and over who watch one additional junk food advert every seven days can end up consuming an extra 18,000 calories each year. Children who are obese have a five times greater risk of becoming overweight adults, while their chances of developing type 2 diabetes and cancer are much higher. This pre-watershed ban on junk food on TV advertising could be brought in through changes to existing rules rather than introducing new legislation, but a new law would need to be brought in to cover the internet because it is unregulated. Media consumption habits are changing with Ofcom revealing that 4 to 15-year-olds are spending 43% less time watching television than in 2010, with internet use increasing by 44% to 4.7 hours per week. "The move could lead to the advertising budgets being deployed digitally instead, including by Facebook and Google." Some of the UK's leading broadcasters - including ITV, Sky and Channel 5 - have raised concerns that this junk food advertising ban would financially damage their industry.

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[Mr_Pot]

Junk food adverts could be banned before 9pm as part of government plans to tackle childhood obesity, it has been reported. Ministers are expected to launch a consultation which will consider the move to outlaw such advertisements on television and radio, according to a report by the Daily Telegraph. Websites could also face tougher restrictions in the plans outlined and agreed last week by the Health Secretary Matt Hancock. There are already bans in place for advertising around children's TV programmes, but the paper says ministers are still concerned that "significant amounts" of adverts are promoting foods and drinks high in sugar. Additionally, research from broadcasting watchdog Ofcom suggested youngsters watch programmes not intended for them for a combined 64% of their TV viewing time. Junk food producers plough £143 million annually into advertising in the UK, while only £5 million is spent by the government on adverts promoting healthy eating, according to the Obesity Health Alliance. Eating healthily, by restricting sugar intake and eating plenty of real-food, can help to lower the risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes as well as other health complications. Cancer Research UK last year revealed that youngsters aged six and over who watch one additional junk food advert every seven days can end up consuming an extra 18,000 calories each year. Children who are obese have a five times greater risk of becoming overweight adults, while their chances of developing type 2 diabetes and cancer are much higher. This pre-watershed ban on junk food on TV advertising could be brought in through changes to existing rules rather than introducing new legislation, but a new law would need to be brought in to cover the internet because it is unregulated. Media consumption habits are changing with Ofcom revealing that 4 to 15-year-olds are spending 43% less time watching television than in 2010, with internet use increasing by 44% to 4.7 hours per week. "The move could lead to the advertising budgets being deployed digitally instead, including by Facebook and Google." Some of the UK's leading broadcasters - including ITV, Sky and Channel 5 - have raised concerns that this junk food advertising ban would financially damage their industry.

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I think a ban on Deliveroo, Just Eat, Domino's and similar organisations would be more effective. Food should only be delivered as raw ingredients.

 

[Deleted member 308541]

No adverts, junk food etc. on Netflix or Amazon Prime Video.

uBlock Origin will block all adverts on the internet.

 

[Listlad]

This has to be a step in the right direction.

 

[bulkbiker]

Slippery slope to censorship... who is going to define "junk foods" ?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-engla...cEo81nrLOl7bVU-daRLi-LRArE045hfN9tHUwGH_Ir3os

Not many here would consider butter, eggs, bacon as junk food... jam ok.. but TfL appear to... be careful what you wish for... a meat tax isn't far away!

 

[Listlad]

Slippery slope to censorship... who is going to define "junk foods" ?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-engla...cEo81nrLOl7bVU-daRLi-LRArE045hfN9tHUwGH_Ir3os

Not many here would consider butter, eggs, bacon as junk food... jam ok.. but TfL appear to... be careful what you wish for... a meat tax isn't far away!

Agreed, not easy. And not popular for any Government to put in place but something has to change for the sake of the health and welfare of the nation.

 

[bulkbiker]

Agreed, not easy. And not popular for any Government to put in place but something has to change for the sake of the health and welfare of the nation.

Banning ads is not the way to go unless they are all banned completely (Hmm not a bad idea for my benign dictatorship)... education is the way to go so that "junk" food ads have less impact.. but hey who's gonna pay for that far easier to knee jerk "ban" things... as I said who is going to decide what to ban?

 

[Listlad]

Banning ads is not the way to go unless they are all banned completely (Hmm not a bad idea for my benign dictatorship)... education is the way to go so that "junk" food ads have less impact.. but hey who's gonna pay for that far easier to knee jerk "ban" things... as I said who is going to decide what to ban?

Not necessarily knee jerk. Thought would be needed. Agreed. Not easy.

Perhaps an extension to the sugar tax on drinks might help.

I agree that education is a way to go. But that may take some time.

Advocacy is never easy when it comes to this sort of thing. A combined top down bottom up approach seems to be working in the world of sustainable resources in some quarters.

 

[Pinkorchid]

Do they really think banning adverts on junk food....whatever they decide comes under that heading... will stop people eating it of course it won't

 

[Listlad]

Do they really think banning adverts on junk food....whatever they decide comes under that heading... will stop people eating it of course it won't

I hear you.

Personally I think the kids should be targeted somehow. They are susceptible to peer pressure etc. An easy target for the junk food adverts. At primary school the education is absent.

 

[Pinkorchid]

I hear you.

Personally I think the kids should be targeted somehow. They are susceptible to peer pressure etc. An easy target for the junk food adverts. At primary school the education is absent.

But even without adverts they are still confronted with the fast food outlets every time they go out that can't be avoided.

 

[Listlad]

But even without adverts they are still confronted with the fast food outlets every time they go out that can't be avoided.

I agree. A lot of thought and education needs to be applied. A combination of approaches.

If I go into my local KFC just a few hundred metres from my house they do at least apply a tax on sugary drinks. Next stage a pudding tax etc etc etc. Every little helps.

 

[bulkbiker]

Perhaps an extension to the sugar tax on drinks might help.

Completely crazy because if the "powers that be" all go vegan and decide meat is "bad" for us then there will be a meat tax next....be very very careful what you wish for...

 

[Listlad]

Completely crazy because if the "powers that be" all go vegan and decide meat is "bad" for us then there will be a meat tax next....be very very careful what you wish for...

Didn’t one of the speakers at the recent Houses of Parliament get together comment favourably on the sugar tax?

 

[bulkbiker]

Didn’t one of the speakers at the recent Houses of Parliament get together comment favourably on the sugar tax?

Possibly but so what..doesn't mean they are right about everything..

 

[Listlad]

Possibly but so what..doesn't mean they are right about everything..

True.

We shall see. It may well be that these plans come to fruition and as a parent with a young child I will welcome a carefully thought out approach along the lines outlined in the opening post. I doubt if they will go into it in any other way than in a small “salami sausage” or bite size chunk approach as they will not want to rile the electorate too much.

 

[bulkbiker]

It may well be that these plans come to fruition and as a parent with a young child I will welcome a carefully thought out approach along the lines outlined in the opening post.

Educate your child about nutrition and how to eat well... try to make them see how advertising is almost universally a bad thing and they'll be well set up for the future.

 

[Listlad]

Educate your child about nutrition and how to eat well... try to make them see how advertising is almost universally a bad thing and they'll be well set up for the future.

That is a great idea and my intention. She is however 6 yo and at that age they don’t have the capacity to comprehend such concepts.

I will of course be working on it.

 

[bulkbiker]

That is a great idea and my intention. She is however 6 yo and at that age they don’t have the capacity to comprehend such concepts.

I will of course be working on it.

I think you'll be surprised at what they pick up from a very young age.
Hubby's nephews have never been given sugary drinks or sweets since birth they are now both teenagers.
They have been fed on just about every different cuisine going. BiL is Chinese origin his wife is Spanish/Moroccan
We took them to a KFC pre movie a couple of years ago.. they asked for water instead of coke and peeled off the coating from their chicken.. ok they ate the fries but...

 

[Listlad]

I think you'll be surprised at what they pick up from a very young age.
Hubby's nephews have never been given sugary drinks or sweets since birth they are now both teenagers.
They have been fed on just about every different cuisine going. BiL is Chinese origin his wife is Spanish/Moroccan
We took them to a KFC pre movie a couple of years ago.. they asked for water instead of coke and peeled off the coating from their chicken.. ok they ate the fries but...

Agreed. We are in a position where we didn’t clamp down on things from the get go. Like many other parents. So we have some ground to make up.