Health groups seeks ban on TV adverts for fatty foods

The Irish Heart Foundation and the National Heart Alliance are calling for a ban on television advertisements for fatty foods before the 9pm watershed.

The groups say the prohibition should be applied to any adverts for foods which are high in fat, sugar or salt.

Irish Heart Foundation’s health promotion manager Maureen Mulvihill said such a move by the proposed new Broadcasting Authority of Ireland was vital to ensuring that young people watching programmes outside of children’s viewing hours are protected from sophisticated ad campaigns that promote unhealthy eating.

“A 6am to 9pm ban would protect the health of children, address the concerns of Irish parents and respond to the robust scientific evidence that links commercial promotion of foods and beverages to poor diets in children,” she said.

“The recent review of regulations in the UK, where ads to children for foods HFSS were banned, showed that the law did not go far enough.

“Advertising to children was reduced, but children still saw the same amount of ads, because advertising during children’s programmes switched to adult viewing times, when more children watch soaps and other family entertainment programmes than children’s programmes, and there was an increase in TV channels.”