19 Apr 2018 Food Active has #AdEnough of junk food marketing to children
Jamie Oliver has launched a new campaign ‘#AdEnough’, which calls for 9pm watershed to junk food marketing to children.
Food Active has long campaigned for tighter controls on junk food marketing to children, given the overwhelming evidence that it can negatively influence children’s eating patterns and preferences. In the face of an ever-growing obesity crisis, we must improve our food environment and ensure that children are not bombarded with cues to consume healthy foods across their whole media environment; from TV to online, to print advertising even on their bus tickets to school.
It seems futile to spend millions of pounds of tax-payers money every year on healthy eating campaigns, such as Change4Life, when the next advertisement to follow is promoting exactly the foods that are discouraged by public health guidance. This conveys a highly contradictory message to children and young people. Thus, it is no wonder the diets and weight status of millions of children in the UK are poor, when they are constantly being targeted with cheap, easily accessible, foods and drinks high in fat, sugar and salt. Creating an environment that makes the healthy choice the easy choice is crucial.
There are significant loopholes with current Ofcom and CAP restrictions on broadcast and non-broadcast media, and whilst the Government argues they are among some of the strictest in the world, currently there’s nothing in place to protect our kids from seeing many of these adverts – apart from literally covering their eyes. And that’s where the #AdEnough campaign comes in…
#AdEnough
Jamie Oliver is calling for the government to introduce a 9pm watershed on junk food advertising on TV, and for improved controls on what ads kids see online, in the street and on public transport. The calls are echoed by the Obesity Health Alliance (of whom Food Active is a member), who have been lobbying for a 9pm watershed for a number of years.
Show your support by posting an image of yourself hiding your eyes on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook with the hashtag #AdEnough.
The campaign has already had some amazing support in government, and from big names in the sport, celebrities, health and food worlds. This could be just what the current junk food marketing campaign efforts needs to help get policymakers to take this policy measure seriously.
