Media ReleaseThursday 27 July 2006 |
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Junk food ads break rules to target kids
New analysis shows serious breaches of television standards
Levels of advertising for unhealthy food are critically high and deliberately targeting children, according to a new study by The Cancer Council NSW, one of the largest content analysis of television food advertising ever undertaken of Australian television, published online this week in the Health Promotion International journal.
“It’s really disturbing that 81% of all food being advertised was for junk food. These ads are aimed mainly at our kids who are already facing an epidemic of obesity,” said Kathy Chapman, researcher and nutritionist at The Cancer Council NSW.
According to the Cancer Council research, fast food and takeaway was the most highly advertised type of food, followed by chocolate and confectionary.
Ms Chapman said, “Children who are obese have up to a 50% chance of being overweight adults, which can contribute to a number of serious health issues, including cancer. We need to ensure healthy habits are learnt early on, and this isn’t helped by the large volumes of junk food TV being broadcast during kids’ timeslots.
“Studies have shown that excessive food marketing is one of the many factors contributing to childhood obesity.”
In the study, television was recorded between 7am and 9pm on two weekdays and two weekend days in four different locations, with food identified as making up 31% of all advertisements.
According to Ms Chapman, regional areas fared slightly better than the cities. There were also more breaches of the Children’s Television Standards code of practice in metropolitan areas, involving mainly giveaways and prizes.
“Of the 645 hours of television recorded, we identified 194 breaches of the code. Our study shows that current regulations don’t go far enough, and rules certainly need to be better enforced to protect our children,” said Ms Chapman.
A review of Children’s Television Standards has already been announced, with the Coalition on Food Advertising to Children calling for a ban on all food advertising during children’s viewing times.
Media Contact: Sally Moore (02) 9334 1878 or 0413 886 578
