Children's TV ads go on diet

An official report linking the growing problem of child obesity to food industry marketing has forced manufacturers to re-evaluate how they target children as consumers.

Last week, the US Institute of Medicine (IoM) published a study on the influence of America's $10 billion ($14 billion) a year food advertising industry - and that's just the bit aimed at children - a study that experts say may prove as important as the Surgeon General's report on smoking that in 1964 led to the demise of Joe Camel as the "friendly" face of the tobacco industry.

The IoM, part of the National Academies of Science, found that US food and beverage advertising was certainly money well-spent. There was a clear link between marketing and children requesting and eating "high-calorie, low-nutrient products".

The study also found a "strong" statistical link between ad viewing and obesity - echoing the conclusions of studies done in Britain, Europe, Australia and New Zealand.

If corporations don't self-regulate more effectively - shifting the emphasis towards healthy foods - then the IoM recommends that Congress does it for them. This includes only allowing the use of perky cartoon characters for "products that support healthful diets".

The European Union's Health Commissioner, Markos Kyprianou, has threatened to introduce EU legislation if there are "no signs of progress" from companies.

The British Government has asked Ofcom, the broadcasting watchdog, to look into food advertising to children, with one key issue being the use of celebrities in marketing.

According to the International Obesity Task Force, about 155 million children globally are obese. The EU estimates that 25 per cent of children across the union are seriously overweight, with an estimated 22 per cent in Britain.

Seeing the writing on the wall, many food and beverage companies are already making changes - generally "welcoming" the various reports, and labelling the findings as "consistent" with their own moves towards more responsible advertising.

Last January, global food giant Kraft took a radical step in its marketing to young Americans. Under the "sensible solution" strategy, products that do not meet nutritional benchmarks are no longer advertised in youth media. This means that many of Kraft's high-profile brands - such as Oreo biscuits - are not now pushed directly at children.

"Kraft isn't stopping advertising to children - it's the mix of advertising that's changed, with a focus on more nutritious foods," said company spokesman Mark Berlind.

McDonald's is taking a different tack and has actually increased its marketing on children's television. But the new ads are more about branding and the promotion of physical activity.

Making change is also good for business, with a clear consumer push for healthier eating options. According to the US Grocery Manufacturers' Association, most of their members have improved the "nutrition" profile of their products since 2001, and more than half are making changes to package sizes.

Unilever, which owns one of the largest food groups in the US, says it does not market to children.

- INDEPENDENT