'Junk' food: a flawed formula
The Food Standards Agency has published guidelines to determine what foods should not be advertised to kids. But it's the idea behind the formula that is 'junk'.
In an effort to tackle rising obesity levels among children, the UK government wants to regulate what kinds of foods are advertised on TV while children are likely to be watching. However, they've already been criticised for producing some peculiar results.
For example, some popular breakfast cereals would fall foul of this definition - including Kellogg's All Bran - and adverts might have to be shown after the 9pm 'watershed'. On the other hand, various items from McDonald's, like McFlurries and Chicken McNuggets, would pass the test.
The real problem is that there is no such thing as 'junk' food. If a substance has nutritional value of some description, it's food, pure and simple. Many things that are defined as junk - like hamburgers, chips, and chocolate, for example - are extremely nutritious in a variety of ways, so long as you don't gorge yourself on them.
The other problem is the assumption that children will watch television and be seduced into eating crap. Children need no encouragement to eat foods which are supposed to be bad for them, and banning these commercials will make no difference. It's up to their parents to ensure that they get something approaching a balanced diet.
The causes of obesity are complex but the government seems intent on reducing them to simplistic slogans. Maybe the people behind this new formula might consider a new profession - TV advertising.
Junk formula demonises 'healthy' food, The Times, London, 29 July 2005