25 August 2006

Food Advertising Unit

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The advertising industry reaffirms its commitment to play its part in tackling obesity

The Advertising Association’s Food Advertising Unit today welcomed the call by the Rt Hon Patricia Hewitt MP, Secretary of State for Health for consumers and parents to take more responsibility for their own lifestyles.

Commenting on the Department of Health’s report on obesity, published today, Andrew Brown, Director General of the Advertising Association, said:

“This report on forecasting obesity levels is another important wake-up call to the nation's need to adopt healthier lifestyles.”

“The appointment of Caroline Flint MP as Minister with cross-departmental responsibilities for fitness is very welcome. It is a recognition that the root cause of obesity is the imbalance between energy consumed and energy expended”.

“Much work is already in-hand on the consumption end of the equation: far-reaching and proportionate proposals have been put forward by the advertising and broadcasting industries to Ofcom on the nature and amount of food and soft drink advertising to primary school children – the Government’s key target group.”

“Tackling the dramatic decline in the Nation’s activity levels will be equally critical in achieving reductions in overweight and obesity levels. The industry has long considered that a holistic approach is right and it will continue to collaborate constructively with Government to meet this challenge”.

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Notes to editors

The Food Advertising Unit (FAU), which operates under the auspices of the UK Advertising Association, is a centre for information, communication and research in the area of food advertising, particularly television advertising, to children. FAU membership represents multi-national food companies, advertising agencies and the media.
‘Package 4’ was submitted to Ofcom on 30 June 2006. It was signed by the members of the coalition: Andrew Brown, Director General of the Advertising Association (AA), Malcolm Earnshaw, Director General – ISBA, Melanie Leech, Director General - Food and Drink Federation (FDF), Jeremy Preston, Director - Food Advertising Unit and Hamish Pringle, Director General - Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA). http://www.fau.org.uk/Package_4__final_.pdf

For further information

Please contact Sue Eustace on 020 7340 1100 or Suzanne Edmond on 07736 729422.

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