Restricting marketing to children: Consensus on policy interventions to address obesity

Abstract

Obesity presents major challenges for public health and the evidence is strong. Lessons from tobacco control indicate a need for changing the policy and environments to make healthy choices easier and to create more opportunities for children to achieve healthy weights. In April 2011, the Alberta Policy Coalition for Chronic Disease Prevention convened a consensus conference on environmental determinants of obesity such as marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages to children. We examine the political environment, evidence, issues, and challenges of placing restrictions on marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages within Canada. We recommend a national regulatory system prohibiting commercial marketing of foods and beverages to children and suggest that effective regulations must set minimum standards, monitor compliance, and enact penalties for non-compliance.

Food marketing to children in Canada: a settings-based scoping review on exposure, power and impact

“…72,73 Nevertheless, those planning interventions must consider how multiple exposures to food marketing interact and socially construct food attitudes and behaviours in children's everyday settings. The tendency for regulations to focus on the promotional aspects of food marketing 74 without considering the settings where children eat, buy or learn about food may increase the risk of policies that inadequately intercept marketers' plans to reach children.…”

“…75 Furthermore, states with multiple strong school food laws (two or more) compared to states with no laws had reduced risk of obesity in elementary schools and of overweight in middle schools. 75 The success of this kind of regulation demonstrates that government policy regulating the food industry, if it follows research-based recommendations, 73 can be paired with local settings-based initiatives to prohibit unhealthy food marketing in the places where children live, learn and play, such as schools and recreation facilities. The places where we eat, buy and learn about food are critical points of intervention for health promotion, just as they are critical targets for the food industry.…”

Knowledge needs and the ‘savvy’ child: teenager perspectives on banning food marketing to children

“…In the light of this failure to protect, some organizations, groups and public health advocates have recommended a regulatory system prohibiting all commercial marketing of foods and beverages to children (Raine et al, 2013). In Canada, the use of legal measures to promote healthier nutrition among children has been advocated as deserving of 'more attention and action' from legislators (Ries & von Tigerstrom, 2010, p. 678).…”

Publicité alimentaire destinée aux enfants : examen de la portée de l’exposition, du pouvoir et des répercussions selon le contexte

“…Les experts recommandent des règlements officiels rigoureux et globaux, une surveil lance indépendante et des pénalités en cas de nonrespect pour réduire efficacement l'exposition des enfants à une publicité sur les aliments malsains puissante 72,73 . Ceux qui planifient les interventions doivent tenir compte de la façon dont l'exposition multiple à la publicité alimentaire interagit et contribue à construire socialement les attitudes et les comportements alimentaires des enfants dans leur quotidien.…”

“…. Le succès de ce type de régle mentation démontre que la politique gouvernementale qui régit l'industrie ali mentaire, si elle donne suite aux recom mandations issues de la recherche 73 , peut se combiner aux initiatives des milieux locaux afin d'interdire la publicité sur les aliments malsains dans les endroits où les enfants vivent, apprennent et jouent, en particulier les écoles et les installations récréatives. Les endroits où nous consom mons et achetons des aliments et nous nous informons sur ceuxci sont des lieux essentiels d'intervention pour la promotion de la santé, tout comme ils constituent des cibles essentielles pour l'industrie alimentaire.…”