26 July 2006

Food Advertising Unit

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The importance of personal responsibility in adopting a healthier lifestyle

The FAU welcomes Tony Blair’s calls today to encourage people to adopt a healthier lifestyle in an effort to tackle rising levels of obesity in the UK.

Jeremy Preston, Director of the FAU commented

“The rising level of obesity is something that concerns us all. We welcome the Prime Minister’s recognition that we should take personal responsibility for our health and lifestyles”.

The advertising and broadcasting industries have jointly submitted a package of proposals in response to Ofcom’s consultation to review and restrict advertising of food and drink to children. If adopted, the new rules would halve the number of food and soft drink advertisements in children’s airtime, compared to 2003. In addition it would introduce some of the strictest rules on advertising content in the world, withdrawing the use of celebrities, licensed characters and promotional offers in any advertisements aimed at children under 10.

He added,

“Although advertising is only one small part of a complex and wide ranging issue, we would agree that it is important to ensure that any advertising or marketing to children is done in the most responsible way.”

“Our proposals will provide a tough but proportionate response. The current co-regulatory system has responded quickly and effectively to the Government’s challenge to change the balance and nature of food and soft drink advertising to children”.

The industry continues to be committed to working with the Government on its wide range of initiatives, most notably on its healthy lifestyle campaign SMALL CHANGE Big Difference.

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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 Suzanne Edmond on 020 7340 1100.

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