Children alert to 'unhealthy' food advertising
Wednesday, June 20, 2001
* Children in Northern Ireland say food advertising sends them the wrong dietary and healthy eating messages. A snapshot survey of 315 children and 109 adults in the Province by the General Consumer Council (GCC) has found that children under 16 are aware that advertising is not helping them improve their eating habits. Six out of ten children said food advertising aimed at them encouraged an unhealthy diet, and one in three wanted junk food ads to be banned during children's television hours. However, a recent Government report found that Northern Ireland has one of the highest percentages of children in the UK who eat crisps, chips, sweets or soft drinks every day.
A snapshot survey of 315 children and 109 adults in the Province by the General Consumer Council (GCC) has found that children under 16 are aware that advertising is not helping them improve their eating habits. Six out of ten children said food advertising aimed at them encouraged an unhealthy diet, and one in three wanted junk food ads to be banned during children's television hours. However, a recent Government report found that Northern Ireland has one of the highest percentages of children in the UK who eat crisps, chips, sweets or soft drinks every day.
GCC chair Joan Whiteside said, 'The regulation of food ads aimed at children needs to be reviewed, especially given the knock-on effect of poor diet on long-term health. There is no balance to the range of products advertised to children. I see lots of adverts for fat-filled goodies but not so many for apples or pears.'
A 1995 survey of 549 food ads aimed at children found that only two were for fruit and vegetables.
