An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure
Blog Post | Blog of Bob Brown
Thursday 28th August 2008, 11:30am
by EbonyBennett in
Today Bob gave notice that he will re-introduce the Protecting Children from Junk Food Advertising (Broadcasting Amendment) Bill 2008, to ban junk food advertising during children's TV viewing hours. The bill was first introduced by Democrats Senator Lyn Allison.
Despite recent alarming reports that obesity costs the Australian community an estimated $58 billion a year, the government communications regulator ACMA has decided not to impose further restrictions on advertising during children's television hours.
The move has understanbly outraged a number of health, consumer and parent groups who have been lobbying for change for years.
Only 1 per cent of food advertising promotes healthy food. The other 99 per cent promotes fast food, soft drinks, ice cream and other junk food.
Everyone knows that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure and a national ban on junk food advertising during kids' TV viewing hours, an idea overwhelmingly supported by parents, is a sensible first step towards tackling childhood obesity.
PDF version
Bookmark, email and share
Comments
one step at a time
Whilst I support the banning of junk food advertising during children's television hours, I'd like to see junk food banned period. That said I think a can-o-worms is being opened.
Are children's 'breakfast cereals' junk food? I think so. How about muesli/energy/ironwoman bars? Yep, those with a sugar content above 20% - so that's nearly all of them. And southern deep fried kitten? Also to be remembered that 1.2million Australians eat at a certain hamburger franchise starting with the letter M every day of the year and that's a lot of voters!
I could go on, but what I'd like to know is: what are the criteria that will determine if a food is 'junk', in other words where is the bar to be set, and who is to administer/police the policy?
Junk Food
I agree with a writer above I think the Greens have to be careful here it could be easily twisted around by our political opponents that we are against advertising or something weird. As the above writer said I would like to see all Junk food advertising banned altogether really. It can only be beneficial for everyone. The Greens should look to Europe and see what the European governments are doing in this field? I thought in France they had a good policy on this issue.
Greens and multi-issue stance
Stick to the environmental issues Bob.
Junk Food
There needs to be more education - of children and their parents - about what constitutes 'good' food. Banning the TV advertising is not enough, when the junk is still on the supermarket shelves in reach of children. Preventative medical advice is really required, to develop a total plan for developing how to tackle the problem.
Plugging holes
As happened with the ban on cigarette advertising, one clever company went on to advertise it's accessories - cigarette lighters, belts, pens and so on. This kept their brand of poison in the public eye and legally got around the cigarette advertising ban for years. The same will happen with junk food and drink.
I can see it now, the chocolate frog cartoon character named Fred, or similar, indirectly promoting the product during prime time kids TV. And a clichéd stressed parent at checkout with toddler(s) in tow; "Look mum/dad there's Fred, and he's only one dollar!" There will be a host of new corporate sponsored kids TV programs given away freely to cash strapped and program starved stations. Subliminal and covert sponsorship of junk food/drink, and 'corporate placement' will be the new order of kids TV. All will obey the letter of new law and do their best to circumvent it's spirit.
Another question is this: how is the company that sells one vaguely healthy product in a line up of junk going to be stopped from promoting it's corporate image on kid's TV? Imagine a bottled water campaign targeted at kids by a multinational carbonated soft drink maker. The ethics and waste of bottled water aside, this is a healthy product they are advertising so it can't be stopped.
So, excited by water advert, junior consumer goes with parent to shop and sees carbonated flavoured sugar product of same brand in dazzling artificial colours. Label and colours are designed, with aid of child psychologists, to seduce junior to reach for the pink or blue or red one. And all this when the drab bottled water is more expensive than the larger 'by me' bottle next to it. So what happens? Parent succumbs and rationalises purchase - well we got more, it was cheaper and it's keeping junior quiet.
Basically one well intended ban will create many loopholes which will need plugging. I just hope the potential circumventions of the spirit of this proposed bill are being taken into account. Mind you as a job creation scheme for the marketing industry it's pretty good.
Junk Food
One component of this I believe has been forgotten, is that the perceived Junk Food industry supports childrens television through their advertising.
I wonder if anybody has investigated who will take up the additional advertising required, or will we see both the quality and quantity of Childrens Television diminish as funding dries up.
Maybe Bob believes that he can convince the Federal Government to cover for the lost advertising. As a share holder, I know that the commercial station share holders will punish station managements if profits are reduced to due lost advertising.
Quality Diminish....?
Grant,
I disagree entirely you only have to look at SBS and the ABC they have no junk food adverts and the quality hasnt decreased. That is a false Premise.
Quality Diminish
Daniel
You have highlighted exactly what would have to happen, and that is the Federal Government would need to possibly pay (more likely heavily subsidise) Childrens Television, as it technically does with both the ABC and SBS.
I state again that commercial TV stations exist to make a profit, and if it is by selling Junk Food advertising to pay for Childrens Television, then that is what they will do, or down size the quantity and/or quality.
I want my ...
How much money do the commercial networks (and indeed our monopoly pay TV network) actually make from junk food ad's during young people's TV viewing time?
In particularly the latter having dedicated kids channels can surely afford to forgo this revenue in the interests of the youth? Or, is it seen a more sensible approach for these people to be obese (and probably lazy) and therefore continue their focus on the idiot box rather than being outside doing something a little more constructive?
Shame on you commercial and pay TV - I wonder how many of your children will have a reduced life expectancy (and a reduced revenue stream for yourselves) as you rub your pennies together....
Post new comment