The World Health Organisation (WHO) has set out a number of recommendations on the marketing of junk food and soft drinks to kids in a bid to curb obesity levels.
The action plan urges all 193 member states to put in place a framework for promoting the responsible advertising of foods and non-alcoholic beverages to children, in a bid to reduce the impact of products high in saturated fats, trans-fatty acids, free sugars, or salt.
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Diets containing large amounts of fat, sugar or salt contribute to chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and cancers, which cause 60% of all deaths worldwide, the United Nations agency noted.
“It was clear from the consultations that member states view marketing of foods and non-alcoholic beverages to children as an international issue and that there is a need to ensure that the private sector markets its products responsibly,” the WHO said.
“The consultations also showed that policies currently in place vary in their objectives and content, approach, monitoring and evaluation practices, and the ways in which stakeholders are involved.”
Recommendations include limiting children’s exposure to television advertising and making schools and playgrounds free from all forms of marketing of junk food and sugary drinks.
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By GlobalDataEarlier this month, First Lady Michelle Obama unveiled an action plan in the US that called on food manufacturers to curb the marketing of unhealthy foods to children.
Also, in April, Five European snack makers decided to sign up to a pledge to stop advertising junk food to children under the age of 12 throughout the EU.
Companies including Intersnack, Lorenz Snack-World and Procter & Gamble have joined the EU Pledge, an initiative designed to restrict advertising to children.
Click here to view WHO’s full recommendations.
