MP’s to ban cartoon characters on unhealthy food.

Unless promoting healthy food to children, MPs’ are urging cartoon and fictional characters to be banned from promotions.
With figures showing the one in twenty five children aged 10 or 11 in the UK are now classed as severely obese, the government has been urged to take drastic action.

“Children are becoming obese at an earlier age and staying obese for longer.” Said Dr Sarah Wollaston, Conservative MP and chair of the health select committee, “The consequences for these children are appalling and this can no longer be ignored.”
To tackle the levels of obesity in children, the health select committee has also called of the government:
• To force supermarkets to remove all sweets, chocolates and unhealthy snacks from the end of isle and check out areas,
• To ban TV junk food adverts before 9pm
• Restrict junk food price promotions
• Ban brands with unhealthy products from sponsoring sports clubs, venues, and tournaments
• Social media platforms to reduce children’s exposure to junk food advertising.

Some of the requests suggested have caused a mixed review. Stephen Woodford, chief executive of the Advertising Association, doesn’t feel that banning unhealthy food adverts before 9pm will make that much of a difference. “We remain of the view that measures such as a 9pm watershed would be ineffective in tackling the complex root causes of childhood obesity which are linked to a whole range of factors, including socio-economic background, ethnicity and educational attainment,”