Advertising to Children: Obesity and Corporate Responsibility

Educations packs are exercise books sent free to schools by fast-food firms and confectioners. Educations packs are the fast-food companies new way to advertise there high-sugar food and drinks such as Vimto. When children read about Vimto in their exercise books they learn about how much sugar there are in the product but when they are out shopping with there parents they recognise and buy the high sugar product Vimto.

This is the new way for firms to advertise there product to children but in Britain advertising fast-food and high sugar drinks to children in television are generally allowed but the commission for the television are saying that adverts should not encourage children to pester parents or eat at bedtime. But they haven’t set any nutritional standards because in Britain advertising in television are independent.

(FSA) Food Standards Agency is concern over the rising number of obesity. The report from the Department of Health is showing a sharp rise in the number of obese children.

Like in 2001 8.5 % of six year olds and 15 % of 15 year olds were obese defined as a third or more of their body weights were fat. But in some countries like Australia, New Zealand, Denmark and Holland they already got strict rules on advertising to children when it comes to fast-food. A report from FSA shows that the number of obesity is slowing down. FSA is saying that it is because of the bans on advertising fast-food in television before or after children’s TV shows.