October 2010
GLOBAL
Global: OECD Releases 2010 Report with a Special Focus on Food Advertising to Children: The UK Experience
On 23 September, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) released a report entitled "Obesity and the Economics of Prevention FIT NOT FAT." Chapter 6 entitled "The Impact of Interventions," which provides an analysis of preventive interventions to tackle obesity, including regulation and fiscal measures (fiscal measures altering the prices of healthy and unhealthy foods, regulation of food advertising to children and mandatory nutrition labelling), carries a "Special Focus V: Regulation of Food Advertising to Children: The UK Experience."
EUROPE
EU: Draft Report on the Impact of Advertising on Consumer Behaviour Presented to the European Parliament
On 14 September, Philippe Juvin MEP presented a Draft Report on the Impact of Advertising and Consumer Behaviour to the Committee on the Internal Market on Consumer Protection of the European Parliament. This report deals with unfair commercial practices in the advertising field, as defined in the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive (UCPD), and concentrates on issues arising from the development of new advertising practices and technologies.
UK: Advertising Standards Authority extends remit of code to cover more digital marketing
On 1 September, the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) announced it would extend the digital remit of the 'UK Code of Non-broadcast Advertising, Sales Promotion and Direct Marketing' (or CAP Code) to "deliver more comprehensive consumer protection online". The ASA Chairman stated that the extension of the rules has "the protection of children and consumers at its heart."
Spain: Draft bill on food security and nutrition approved by the Government
On 3 September, the Spanish Council of Ministers approved the draft 'bill on food security and nutrition' (Proyecto de Ley de Seguridad Alimentaria y Nutrición), which contains restrictions on HFSS food advertising to children. The Council of Ministers will now send the draft bill to the Parliament for examination.
UK and Ireland: Consumer Group releases report into the Commercialisation of Childhood
On 14 September, Mother's Union, a worldwide organisation that works to support family life released a report entitled: "Bye Buy Childhood: A Report into the Commercialisation of Childhood." The document based on research into the opinions and experiences of 1000 parents, union members, as well as a review of existing information on the "commercialisation of childhood", details the impact of advertising and marketing on children's happiness.
UK: Advertising Association launches online resource gathering all existing regulations around marketing to children
On 27 September, the Advertising Association (AA) launched "Check – the Children's Ethical Communications Kit" – a new website that brings together all the existing UK regulations, legislation and guidance relating to marketing to children.
AMERICAS
US: FTC to draft a follow-up to 2008 Report on food marketing to children and teens
According to press reports published in the beginning of September, the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has sent subpoenas to 48 companies that market food to children and teens, in order to prepare a follow-up to its 120-page report issued in 2008, "Marketing Food to Children and Adolescents: A Review of Industry Expenditures, Activities and Self-Regulation."
US: New study highlights "Trends in Exposure to Television Food Advertisements Among Children and Adolescents in the United States
On 6 September, Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine published a study entitled "Trends in Exposure to Television Food Advertisements Among Children and Adolescents in the United States", led by the University of Illinois at Chicago's Institute for Health Research and Policy. Drawing from television ratings data licensed from Nielsen Media Research, the study examined trends in exposure to food advertising by age and race and changes in exposure to ads in specific food product categories during 2003, 2005 and 2007. Researchers found that although children and teens are seeing fewer television advertisements for fruit drinks, regular soda and sweets, youths of all ages are exposed to substantially more TV ads for fast-food restaurants.
Canada: Health Ministers to Act on Marketing of HFSS Foods to Children
On 14 September, at their annual meeting the Health Ministers in Canada released a document "Curbing Childhood Obesity: A Federal, Provincial and Territorial Framework for Action to Promote Healthy Weights." The document suggests that "protection of children from the marketing of foods and beverages high in fat, sugar and/or sodium" is one of the factors that "childhood overweight and obesity can be influenced by."
US: Rudd Center Issues Recommendations on Marketing to Children
On 17 September, the Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity has released a fall 2010 paper entitled "Strategies to Prevent Overweight and Obesity, Fall 2010" that highlights obesity prevention policies with "the potential for the greatest impact." The centre's recommendations relate to preschools and schools, consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, marketing to children, weight bias, food deserts, and ongoing surveillance of these efforts.