IPA welcomes public health proposals but voices concerns
The IPA today largely welcomed the Government’s public health White Paper in relation to the promotion of food and alcohol to children and young people, however it has expressed fears of certain products becoming “demonized”.
The IPA has been party to negotiations with Government about the development of a sustained positive lifestyle campaign and therefore particularly welcomed the Government’s commitment to the funding of a nationwide positive health campaign.
However, the IPA believes the threat of advertising bans and severe restrictions, coupled with a traffic light system that demonises certain products, does not promote co-operation that is vital to the success of tackling the real issue which is the need for behavioural change.
The ban on television advertising of foods and drinks to children would be “disproportionate and, in isolation, ineffective.”
Indeed the industry believes that it is a calories-in/calories-out issue and that evidence demonstrates bans are ineffective. For example, Norway and Belgium have three or four times less food ads per hour on average than Germany, Denmark, Finland and the Netherlands, yet suffer from higher levels of obesity. Recent studies all show that parents are the primary influencers of their children’s behaviour.
Said IPA legal director Marina Palomba: “Ultimately censorship is only justifiable in any area if there is sound evidence that such drastic steps that impinge on consumer choice free competition and freedom of commercial expression. While the IPA embraces the need to protect vulnerable groups there is little or no evidence that the proposed advertising restrictions would have the desired effect on obesity levels. Indeed bans are not only ineffective but can be counter productive damaging consumer choice, information and healthy competition.”