Experts Call on Legislators to Ban Unhealthy Food Ads in UK

The relationship between unhealthy foods and diabetes is becoming more apparent as recent studies suggest.

That is a why more than a hundred diabetes experts in the United Kingdom and in Scotland are calling for a law banning all forms of advertising of food that are unhealthy and could increase the chance of obesity among children leading to the development of Type 2 diabetes, according to a report published by the Diabetes UK.

Experts warned that in recent years, obesity levels have been increasing in the UK as two thirds of the country’s adult population is overweight and a quarter of the populations are classified as obese.

The Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (RCPE) recently convened a countrywide assembly of experts in diabetes to try and reach an agreement addressing the growing threat of obesity to the overall health situation of the nation.

RCPE is concerned that obesity is posing a significant health challenge carrying a strong risk of development into Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and some forms of cancer.

They are also asking legislators to extend current restrictions on advertising unhealthy food not only on TV programs made for kids but also in other forms of media and into the whole marketing industry as well.

Dr. Scott Ramsay, Lead Organizer of the event for the RCPE said, “We believe that the lessons from effective legislation on smoking should be used to promote healthier diets, increased physical activity and to inform transport and planning policy.”

This, he said, should involve stricter regulation of the food and beverage industry and the extension of restrictions on ‘less healthy’ food and beverage advertising in children’s television programs covering all forms of advertising aimed at children.

Bridget Turner, Head of Policy at the leading health charity Diabetes UK, said: “As a result of increasing obesity levels among young people in the UK, we are now seeing cases of Type 2 diabetes – historically a condition affecting the over 40s – in children as young as seven.”

She said that the worrying situation was almost unheard of just twenty years ago and should act as the wake-up call for the new coalition government to urgently push through legislation to ban all junk food advertising aimed at children.

She added that the marketing legislation must run alongside measures to address the lack of affordable access to local sports and recreational facilities in the UK.

“The dangers of obesity must be promoted at every opportunity alongside support to help families change to more healthy eating habits, “ Turner said.

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