Germany: Advertising barriers for unhealthy food

Child Health Foundation calls for support for child protection bill

23-Aug-2023 - Germany

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Together with 60 organizations, the Stiftung Kindergesundheit (Children's Health Foundation) is campaigning for broad support for the advertising barriers planned by Federal nutrition Minister Cem Özdemir for foods with a high sugar, fat or salt content.

With "large concern" one looks at rejecting expressions of individual politicians to the plans for child protection, it is called in the open letter, which numerous federations, like medical-scientific professional associations, child right organizations, parents and educational associations, consumer protection and nourishing organizations as well as physician federations and health insurance companies signed. Comprehensive advertising barriers for unbalanced foods are an important instrument for promoting healthy nutrition among children, the alliance warns. Such a blockade attitude is against the fact situation and the unanimous consensus in science and civil society.

"Far over 100 scientific investigations show clearly: Advertisement for unhealthy food and beverages increases the consumption of advertised products and the total calorie admission, and it leads with children and young people to more predominance and Adipositas. Pediatricians and adolescent doctors in Germany, Europe and other parts of the world, the World Health Organization, the American Academy of Sciences and independent experts are therefore calling for such advertising to children to be limited," said Prof. Berthold Koletzko, a metabolic specialist at the University Children's Hospital in Munich and chairman of the Stiftung Kindergesundheit (Children's Health Foundation).

The proposed legislation by Federal Minister of Nutrition Cem Özdemir, which was agreed in the coalition agreement, has been blocked for months by individual other ministries in the departmental vote. Although the Minister of Nutrition has already conceded concessions, Özdemir's compromise proposal is also not supported. The Stiftung Kindergesundheit appeals to all those with political responsibility to act in the interests of future generations. It emphasizes that advertising barriers do not represent paternalism. Rather, they strengthen families' freedom of choice by reducing the influence of unhealthy food advertising on children. "At a time when nutrition-related health problems among children and adolescents are on the rise, a joint effort by policymakers, society and parents is crucial to ensure a healthy future for our children," Koletzko said.

Note: This article has been translated using a computer system without human intervention. LUMITOS offers these automatic translations to present a wider range of current news. Since this article has been translated with automatic translation, it is possible that it contains errors in vocabulary, syntax or grammar. The original article in German can be found here.

https://www.yumda.com/en/news/1181383/germany-advertising-barriers-for-unhealthy-food.html