"Brussels" wants to stop advertising junk food to children

[1vegan]

Heard this on the radio news, and found a link :

http://news.ft.com/cms/s/3bed32fa-6a...00e2511c8.html

Brussels warns on junk food
By George Parker in Brussels and John Mason in London
Published: January 20 2005 02:00 | Last updated: January 20 2005 02:00

The food industry has been given a year to stop advertising junk food to children and improve product labelling or face legislation in the European Union.

Markos Kyprianou, EU health and consumer affairs commissioner, warned in a Financial Times interview that urgent action was needed to tackle Europe's obesity problem, particularly among the young.

Mr Kyprianou believed self-regulation in the food industry was the quickest and most effective way to tackle the problem. But he warned the European Commission would resort to legislation if progress proved disappointing.

He said: "The signs from the industry are very encouraging, very positive. But if this doesn't produce satisfactory results, we will proceed to legislation."

The Commission can initiate legislation using rules covering the EU single market - under which it recently banned newspaper tobacco advertising - or on consumer protection grounds.

Brussels also wants to encourage initiatives to promote healthy lifestyles, involving national governments, the food industry and health bodies.

Mr Kyprianou said that until recently Europe "considered obesity to be a US problem . .. we made fun of Americans in a way. It is a European problem now".

There's more on the page that I linked to

Personally, I don't like "self regulation" on this kind of things.
I prefer real legal messures, so you got something to "fight them with" if they don't stick to the agreement.

If this would come into effect, that would mean no more McD "happy meals" ads on TV during the hours that children watch TV ?

[Kiva Dancer]

Seems that several countries are making the move to do this except the US, who sees no need for such a ban.

If I'm reading it right, Happy Meals would not be the only thing affected. 99% of the food that is currently advertised at children would affected under this ban. I'm not sure it would do much for conquoring obesity in children, but I do see it as a good step in the right direction.

I don't know how it is in other countries, but I blame a lot of US's obesity problem on the fact that schools barely have recess anymore and children, in general, do not run and play outside as earlier generations did. They're glued to a screen of some sort, weather it's a video game, a computer monitor or a TV. Plus, a lot of them have horrendus diets of packaged foods and sodas (not all, but a good many). It all adds up to putting children at risk for health problems that used to be associated with "getting older" such as diabeties, high blood pressure, heart disease, etc.

[feline01]

I still can't get over the fact that many school cafetarias in the US are run by McDeath, Murder King, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut etc. and that soda companies pay the schools to only sell their product. Let's see, I can lose custody of my children for feeding them healthy, vegan diet including fresh fruit and veg, whole grains, legumes etc. yet I'd be fine if I sent them to public school and they ate a cheeseburger and fries everyday.

[snaffler]

On the 6pm news last night Brussles wants all over Europe including UK to ban Junk Food Advertising, a good thing I say before we end up with a nation of it's the knock out charchters with Stuart Hall laughing in the background as the nation wobble down the street blotted on burgers.