Food Advertising Unit responds to Debra Shipley MP - refutes call for advertising ban

The Food Advertising Unit (FAU), a centre for information, communication and research in the area of food advertising to children, is aware that the labour backbencher Debra Shipley MP will introduce a Ten Minute Rule Bill tomorrow to “ban the advertising of high fat, high sugar and high salt content food and drinks during pre-school television programmes and related scheduling”.

The FAU refutes the need for this based on a wide range of research and evidence:

There is no factual evidence that a ban will eliminate or reduce obesity:

Professor Hastings, in the recent Food Standards Agency report, says that his studies "do not amount to proof."
Quebec has had a ban for many years but childhood overweight and obesity is no lower than in any of the other Canadian provinces.

Parents supply 90% of the family's food requirements - they control the diet.
The UK already has one of the strictest codes of practice in the EU relating to the content of food advertising to children. For example:

Advertisers are not allowed to communicate excessive consumption or frequency, snacks cannot be portrayed as main meal substitutes and showing snacking pre bedtime is forbidden.

Overweight and obesity are caused by an imbalance between food consumption and energy expenditure.

Government statistics actually show a decline in calorific intake amongst children over the last 10-15 years;
BUT there has been an even greater reduction in exercise - there have been reductions in children walking and cycling to school, whilst less than 50% of children are taking the Government recommended level of two hours PE each week.

Changing lifestyles are at the core of the overweight/obesity problem.
• Recent research with 1500 independent parents acknowledged the presence of "pester power" but recognised it as part of a child's development

More than 80% of parents stated that they did not concede to demands – parents are in control.

Ms Shipley’s concern about the influence of advertising on children is contradicted by a recent review of scientific research conducted by Dr Brian Young of Exeter University's School of Psychology. He found that when actual family behaviour is studied the impact of advertising on children's food choices and attitudes is not generally considered to be significant - of greater significance is the influence of siblings and peers.

Jeremy Preston, Director of the FAU said “The food and advertising industries do acknowledge that the trend in overweight and obesity amongst children has to be addressed and wish to contribute to the solution. However, it is vital that any action plan is practical, sustainable, deliverable and achieves quantified goals – quick fixes to satisfy certain interest groups will not succeed in reducing levels of obesity amongst children.

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Notes to editors

The Food Advertising Unit (FAU), based in the offices of the UK Advertising Association is a centre for information, communication and research in the area of food advertising, particularly television advertising to children. In addition to the commission and publication of research, the FAU holds an annual conference and is an active participant in the debate surrounding children and commercialism. The FAU has also produced and widely distributed its ParentPower booklets, which are designed to help parents consider the commercial nature of the modern world, and how best to introduce their children to it.

For further information

Stephanie Quantick, Pat Hindley, Gillian Waddell at Fuel PR 0207 498 8211 stephanie@fuelrefuel.com

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