Call for junk food ads ban to tackle soaring child diabetes

Published on Sunday 16 May 2010 21:37

A GROUP of more than 100 diabetes experts has called for laws banning all forms of advertising of "unhealthy foods" that targets children.

• Experts want the ban on ads for sugary snacks during children's TV times to be extended. Picture: PA

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."