Strict rules in the UK by Ofcom, the independent regulator and competition authority for the UK communications industries, prohibit adverts for food and drink products high in fat, sugar and salt to be shown during children's t.v programming times.
This means that while these sorts of food cannot be advertised, fast food companies can still advertise, and many use this opportunity to promote their 'healthy options' such as milk and carrot sticks.
Research by Liverpool University has shown that despite the 'healthy' product being advertised the children associate the advert with the fast food company, not the healthy food. This is likely to translate into increased brand awareness and in the study resulted in children choosing fries and soft drinks over any of the 'healthy' options.
Researcher Dr Emma Boylans explains:
"It's a big debate then about whether we should allow fast food giants to advertise healthy options. If it is advertising healthy stuff, that should in theory be a good thing, but if the brand is so well known for fast food and, on the whole, people are buying unhealthy options from there, is that something we should be cracking down on?"
Should all companies be free to advertise their products and for it to be up to the consumer to decide what they will purchase or do children need protected from fast food?
Is the advertising of 'healthy options' just a ploy to market the brand or do fast food companies genuinely want children to eat more healthily?
What is the solution?
Read more here:
www.theguardian.com/society/2014/may/31/mcdonalds-happy-meal-adverts-dont-help-children-choose-he... Image:
www.brandchannel.comIt is proposed that fast food brands should not be allowed to advertise their so-called healthy products to children.