Home > Media and Analysts > News Release Archive > 2004 > Jul > News Release 22|07|04

22|07|04

Ofcom research sets food advertising to children in context

Ofcom has today published the findings of research into the role of television advertising in the context of the wider public debate about childhood obesity.

The research was undertaken in response to a request in December 2003 from the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport that Ofcom look at the rules relevant to food advertising directed at children.

The research

The research programme was wide-ranging. Ofcom:

• commissioned more than 2,000 interviews with children, parents, teachers and nutritionists to explore why children choose the food they do, how food promotion influences this, and the key messages children take from television advertising;
• asked an independent expert - Professor Sonia Livingstone of the London School of Economics - to conduct a full review of relevant academic research;
• analysed data from other studies, including details of family eating habits drawn from a panel of 11,000 people, including more than 2,000 children;
• analysed audience research data to assess children's television viewing habits;
• analysed data on the food advertising market, including size of the market, advertising spending and details of the range of creative approaches used in television advertising of food products.

Evidence and conclusions

The evidence shows that television advertising has a modest direct effect on children's food consumption. However, the significance of this is small when compared to other factors potentially linked to childhood obesity such as exercise, trends in family eating habits inside and outside the home, parents' demographics, school policy, public understanding of nutrition, food labelling and other forms of food promotion.

On that basis, Ofcom has concluded that a total ban on such advertising would be both ineffective and disproportionate in its wider impact, for the following reasons:

• The evidence from Ofcom's research shows that 70% of children's viewing takes place outside of children's airtime, traditionally defined as the after-school slot on weekdays, Saturday mornings and throughout the day on dedicated children's channels on cable and satellite.
• Other countries have banned aspects of television advertising to children. However, research into the effects of this is limited. Where research has been undertaken the findings are both unclear and contested.
• In the absence of an objective system categorising defined foods, such a ban would be unavoidably absolute; it would remove the right to advertise any food or drink product, regardless as to actual nutritional value or potentially positive contribution to health.
• A ban would undermine the likely investment in children's programming on commercial television, reducing choice and innovation for younger audiences.

Next steps

The research identifies childhood obesity as a multi-faceted problem which will require further work by a number of agencies, Government departments and the food industry.

Ofcom will continue to work with the Department of Health and the Food Standards Agency (FSA) in their analysis of childhood obesity and has shared the detail of its research findings with both organisations.

Once the Health White Paper has been published and the FSA has completed its nutritional profiling of all food products later this year, Ofcom will examine the conclusions arising from that work and will assess the extent to which these should be reflected in the Advertising Code.

Separately, Ofcom's own research has identified potential targeted areas of change which will be the subject of a public consultation in the autumn. That consultation will take into account the views expressed by parents during the course of Ofcom's research and relevant outcomes from the work of the Department of Health and the FSA. Ofcom's research demonstrates that most parents:

• Do not support an outright ban on television advertising.
• Support the need for better information about the nutritional content of the products being advertised.
• Would like advertisements directed at young children to be less attractive, for example by avoiding the use of cartoon characters.
• Support the use of targeted scheduling restrictions.

Ofcom Chief Executive Stephen Carter said:

"Childhood obesity is a public health concern which experts in nutrition, health and education, the Government and the food industry are rightly addressing."

He added:

"Television advertising clearly has an influence and equally clearly there is a need for a tightening of specific rules. However, a total ban would be neither proportionate nor, in isolation, effective."

The full programme of research is available from the Ofcom website at www.ofcom.org.uk.

Ends.

Back to top