Junk food advertisment bans

**Miaow** · 24-10-2008 06:26

Junk food advertisment bans

Peter Jean
October 24, 2008 12:00am

JUNK food advertising will be banned on children's TV under an agreement by some of the country's biggest food and drink manufacturers.
The Australian Food and Grocery Council will today announce a code to ensure that its members advertise only healthy food when the target audience is mainly children aged under 12.
The code will also apply to advertising during movies and radio programs, in publications, and on websites and computer games.
The code will also ban the use of popular or licensed characters such as the Wiggles, Shrek and Kung Fu Panda in promoting junk food.
And members will be forced to end free toy offers linked to the purchase of food.
Food and Beverage Council members include Coca-cola Amatil, Mars, and Cadbury-Schweppes.
The takeaway food industry, which includes companies such as McDonalds is also believed to be close to finalising a new agreement on rules for marketing to children.
Food and Grocery Council chief Kate Carnell said the code would ensure only healthy foods and drinks would be advertised during TV programs watched mainly by primary school children.
"We don't think the nanny state or lots of censorship is what this is about," Ms Carnell said. "This is a particular chunk of programs where often younger children are watching on their own and may not be mature enough yet to make healthy decisions for themselves."
But junk food could still be advertised on TV programs watched by teenagers and on PG-rated shows, which parents and children should be viewing together.
An independent arbiter and complaints system will be established to ensure participating companies comply. The companies will develop action plans to show how they will comply with the code's principles.
Ms Carnell said food and beverages marketed to children aged under 12 would have to meet "established scientific or Australian government standards".
"Our aim in developing the initiative is to provide a framework for food and beverage companies to promote healthy dietary choices and lifestyles to Australian children," she said.
Ms Carnell said some food companies were likely to cease advertising altogether during children's TV programs, while others would only run ads relating to healthy products.
The Food and Beverage Council will release details of the advertising code in a submission to the Australian Communications and Media Authority.

In August, ACMA said it was not considering restrictions on food and beverage advertising to children.
A recent survey found that most children don't eat enough fruit and vegetables and almost a quarter are overweight.

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sto...19-662,00.html

**Baldie's Mum** · 24-10-2008 07:58

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=652569
I found this one........

Why cant parents and carers say no...... IMO if you dont like what children can see on TV then dont let them watch it??? At the end of the day childrens diet (especially under 12yrs old) are the sole responsability of their parents!!!

It makes me so mad, this blamming society! Why do people always have to blame others?

"my child is fat because the ad's on TV are all about junk food, and now all they want is maccas"
Here's an idea........TURN THE T.V OFF AND GET THEM PLAYING OUTSIDE AND POSSIBLY SAY NO ONCE IN A WHILE!!!!
"my child wont eat anything but KFC"
How bout you give alternatives. The child wont starve themselves....they will eventually eat....

Not rocket science!

**amandaw** · 24-10-2008 08:11

Totally agree with you there Ains

**Baldie's Mum** · 24-10-2008 08:11

**Baldie's Mum** · 24-10-2008 08:13

There are countless toy ad's on TV, when your child ask's over and over again for a remote control car, do you just give in? Or do you say, no??? Why is it anything different to foods?

**MimiGrace** · 24-10-2008 08:26

Personally i think they should ban all junk-food adds and only show adds like the 'do you eat 2 & 5 every day' veggie man.
Regardless of what time it is!
and especially for/during teen programs. because children might get influenced, but their parents have final say.

The problem is when they get to my age, and they see the adds and go, wow thats a great price, and then buy it..

So no junk food adds ever, well maybe they can start once the porn adds start as well...that wouldn't bother me cause i don't watch at that time anyway

**Love is all you need** · 24-10-2008 08:38

Originally Posted by *AINS*

There are countless toy ad's on TV, when your child ask's over and over again for a remote control car, do you just give in? Or do you say, no??? Why is it anything different to foods?

and with everything else Ains has said

Parents have to learn to say NO to everything they don't agree with otherwise kids will be brought up thinking they can get anything they want.

MimiGrace I'm fairly young and I don't see the ads and go "oh thats cheap I'm gonna go buy it" didn't do that all through high school either.

The childs attitude towards junk is related to the parents attitude towards junk food.

**La Que Sabe** · 24-10-2008 08:40

at least they're making a start.
i can't wait for the daywhen they ban tvs altogether!!
it's a vicious cycle!

to who ever invented the stupid thing.

**Baldie's Mum** · 24-10-2008 09:27

Originally Posted by Monkey&Mum

at least they're making a start.
i can't wait for the daywhen they ban tvs altogether!!
it's a vicious cycle!

to who ever invented the stupid thing.

Just curious....do you have one???

Also, what is different to tv ads and internet ads! Everywhere you look there are people advertising their companies products. Thats how econonamy grows ect, basically the money world rotates because of consumer spending......Its necassary.
How are we going to know about new products? How are we going to get advice from that parenting magazine you saw advertised on say bubhub......

How bout that new identikid bracelett that you can get?? (thanks flashing ad at the top of my screen)
You can watch but you dont have to engulf the message from the ad.....iykwim.
I dont go out and buy a new outdoor setting from harvey norman, but by golly its got a great ad and lots of music....i know i simply dont need it, cant afford it and i say NO to myself........

(ok off my soad box)

**La Que Sabe** · 24-10-2008 09:43

nice ains.
no, i don't have a tv....i'd be a bit of a hypocrit if i did hey!!
i know what you mean with it keeping the world rotating, but i just don't think it's necasery. but then again, i think alot of the stuff that is advertised isn't necasery. IYKWIM!!!!