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Should junk food ads be banned?

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Should junk food ads be banned?

The Commons health committee thinks so. Among its recommendations on tackling the 'obesity epidemic' is a proposed ban on TV advertising of junk food before 9pm.

Sky News

The recommendations in their report include:
:: Banning junk food adverts before the 9pm watershed during TV programmes
:: Greater controls to stop supermarkets offering buy-one-get-one-free deals on unhealthy food
:: Warnings on drink bottles to flag up how many spoonfuls of sugar they contain
:: A 20% tax on full-sugar drinks with the money raised going towards preventing childhood obesity
:: An outright ban on supermarkets placing sweets and other less healthy foods at the ends of aisles and checkouts
:: The use of cartoon characters and celebrities in children's advertising should be restricted
:: New guidelines on what constitutes a healthy school packed lunch.

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Do we need this kind of legislation? Is the big stick approach the best way, or should we allow people to make their own life choices?

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Totally counterproductive. Education not legislation.
Well, they're right that it would reduce consumption. So would strapping us to robotic harnesses that control our movements and allow us only to buy government-approved healthy foods like bread, cream, white sauce and aspic.
stop banning things.
my favorite junk foods are not actually advertised ?

Β£1 frozen curries ftw
If they were serious about reducing obesity then they would introduce rationing. But they aren't serious, so that's a no vote for me.
Original post by shawn_o1
Totally counterproductive. Education not legislation.


Education doesn't necessarily work or produce results.
It wouldn't make a difference. Children are unlikely to be the ones buying the food that's advertised on tv. It's the parents who will still see the adverts, so no point putting them on after the watershed.

As someone said above, education not legislation.
How were smoking statistics affected after the ban on cigarette and cigar adverts were banned on tv and elsewhere?
Reply 9
That would affect the profits of the big food companies, they would sue for profit loss, and they would have to let them put them on again.
How about changing the nutrition labels to actually be more relevant? I bet there are thousands out there that are getting fooled by the nutrition labels and don't fully understanding how much their consuming. An easy example would be 500ml soft drinks, where the front nutrition labels are usually per 250ml 'serving'. The 27g sugar in 250ml of coke very easily becomes 54g for the full 500ml bottle.
Perhaps.
There's a little thing called self control, people should try it sometime
Original post by Unkempt_One
Well, they're right that it would reduce consumption. So would strapping us to robotic harnesses that control our movements and allow us only to buy government-approved healthy foods like bread, cream, white sauce and aspic.


And reducing marketing firms ability to make money from pushing harmful products is a pretty long way from fully removing bodily autonomy, so you voted yes I guess? I mean who gives a **** about marketing firms, complete waste of human productivity.
I don't really think it would make a difference.
Reply 15
Banning ads of junk food won't do jack ****... You get junk food out on your own anyway without ads...? If they wanna reduce obesity ban foods period or ration them what difference does ads even make.
I don't think a tax would make that much difference, neither will banning adverts. As another poster said, it's the parents buying the junk food for the children.

The parents and children need education. I also think that supermarkets do need to stop with the offers too.
Original post by shooks
The Commons health committee thinks so. Among its recommendations on tackling the 'obesity epidemic' is a proposed ban on TV advertising of junk food before 9pm.



Do we need this kind of legislation? Is the big stick approach the best way, or should we allow people to make their own life choices?


It worked with smoking. It also worked with things like asbestos.

It is a big stick, but only part of an Arsenal including education. However with a Β£5billion bill per year something needs to be done.
Original post by WaveySamz
I don't really think it would make a difference.


Original post by Kflo
Banning ads of junk food won't do jack ****..


Original post by OU Student
I don't think a tax would make that much difference, neither will banning adverts.


If these ads have so little impact why is so much money spent on them? :s-smilie:
I don't eat Junk food but this is dumb, people can eat whatever they want and society if free to judge them for it.

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