Broadcasters see no reason to ban fast food ads

Obesity is an increasing problem. File picture / Herald on Sunday

Banning television advertising of fast foods, sugary drinks and sweets would have little impact on curbing obesity, television broadcasters say.

The Television Broadcasters Council, representing TVNZ and CanWest TVWorks, was appearing today before Parliament's health select committee which is carrying out an inquiry into obesity.

There have been calls to ban food advertising during the hours children mainly watch television.

But council executive director Bruce Wallace argued the link between television advertising of foods, fast food outlets, beverages and sweets was "very small" compared to the influence of parents and other societal factors.

A ban on such advertising on television was unlikely to have any significant impact on obesity levels, he said.

Banning television food advertising on television would not only be ineffective in curbing obesity but would also damage the local television production industry and could cause a severe reduction in programmes especially made for children.

Mr Wallace said that for the past 10 years, no advertising had been allowed during programmes aimed at children under five years old, and advertising had been restricted to 10 minutes per hour during programme for school age children.

This amounted to more than two hours of restricted advertising per day covering TV2 and TV3.

Mr Wallace said 17 per cent of advertising during programmes for children under 14-years-old was for food, sweets and beverages.

The most popular advertising was for toys and games.

Mr Wallace said he accepted that most children watched television from 6pm to 8.30pm but said that even then the level of food and beverage advertising had fallen by 12 per cent since 2002.

In 2005, it amounted to about 19 per cent of all television advertising.

Free-to-air broadcasters were working with the Government on its Healthy Eating, Healthy Actions strategy aimed at changing obesity levels, he said.

- NZPA