Helsinki, 7 November, 2005 — The spread of obesity is a cause of concern everywhere in Europe. Overweight in Finnish children has also increased significantly in the past decades. The Consumer Agency, the Consumer Ombudsman and the National Public Health Institute have published a guide for advertisers to use when planning marketing of foodstuffs to children.
Environment, availability, parents, friends and school in turn influence the factors that regulate the development of children's weight, i.e. dietary choices and exercise. Research indicates that also the volume and contents of advertising aimed at children shape consumption habits. Most of the foodstuffs marketed to children contain high levels of fat, sugar or salt. This is in conflict with public health goals and the World Health Organisation's global strategy to promote healthy nourishment and exercise.
The Consumer Agency, the Consumer Ombudsman and the National Public Health Institute have drafted a recommendation as a guide for advertisers to use when planning marketing of foodstuffs to children. The National Food Agency and the National Board of Education participated in their expert capacity.
Foodstuffs marketing can be assessed on the basis of the relevant provisions of both the Consumer Protection Act and the Food Act. The provisions of the latter are not dealt with in this recommendation; instead, their interpretation has been studied in monitoring guides published by the National Food Agency. In addition to what is presented here, marketers must also take the provisions relating to the safety of foodstuffs and package markings into consideration.
According to the dominant values in our society, the health and welfare of children is regarded as something important and to be aspired to. Whether or not marketing is contrary to good practice or inappropriate is appraised in the light of the values and principles generally accepted in society. Thus when the legality of marketing is appraised, the prevailing public health goals that we want to promote in our society must be taken into consideration. Alongside the ground rules of marketing, also some examples of rulings by the Market Court and decisions issued in the course of the Consumer Ombudsman's oversight work are outlined in this recommendation.
Several reviews of the effects that foodstuffs marketing has on children's diet have been made. The contents and volume of advertising contribute to influencing consumption habits, especially where children and adolescents are concerned. The reviews indicate that advertising influences not only preferences for certain brands (which chocolate bar is chosen) in general, but also the choices that young people make with respect to food (whether to choose sweets or fruit). Dietary habits are learned and internalised already in early childhood. The overwhelming majority of the foodstuffs advertising aimed at or reaching children and adolescents is for sugary cereals, soft drinks, sweets, potato crisps and hamburgers. A typical feature of marketing for these products is that they are associated with children's heroes and cartoon characters, fun, free gifts of toys and competitions. The more children and adolescents see this advertising, the more of the products in question they consume.
Those concerned about public health regard most of the foods marketed to children and adolescents as unhealthy, i.e. as foods that contain high levels of fat, sugar or salt and are poor in fibre, essential trace elements, vitamins and other ingredients important from the perspective of health. A question often asked is whether there are such things as healthy or unhealthy food at all or just healthy or unhealthy diets. In any case, lavish use of foods that are rich in fat, sugar or salt contribute to the development of an unhealthy diet, whereas choosing alternatives that contain less unsaturated fats, sugar and salt and are rich in fibres is advisable with health in mind.
Minors are more susceptible than adults to the influences of advertising. Children believe in the truthfulness of advertising and do not have sufficient knowledge of the adverse effects on health that are associated with excessive use of products containing high levels of sugar, salt or fat. Children are also capable of having a considerable influence on their parents' purchasing behaviour. Appealing to children in advertising puts pressure on parents to buy particular products, although it is they who should have the primary right to decide what the family purchases. Through advertising, images of trendy choices and ways of life are created in the minds of children and adolescents, and the advertiser's aim is that these images should remain when the children have become adults. It is also possible to use advertising to make healthy products and habits appealing to children and adolescents.
This is cache, read story here
