A new report by the Food Foundation shows just 2% of food advertising is spent on fruit and veg.
They hope the Mayor of London’s junk-food advert ban across the TFL network will make way for healthier marketing.
The report, #BrokenPlate, was launched outside parliament last night. The Food Foundation vow to publish one every year until more is done to combat London’s concerning obesity rate.
One of the main factors the report identifies is food advertising costs, of which 98% was spent on marketing unhealthy food last year.
The call for healthy advertising comes after Mayor of London Sadiq Khan put a ban on junk-food adverts across the TFL network this week.
The ban regulates advertising according to nutritional value of the products, such as sugar content. This means foods like yoghurt, guacamole and quiche are among those banned.
TFL’s network, from taxis to buses and tubes, constitutes 40% of the public advertising space in London. It is hoped the measure will change the way brands target children.
In London, 40% of children aged 10-11 are classified as overweight or obese.
What can be done?
Jo Rallings of the Food Foundation:
“We’ve reached a crisis point”
“There’s absolutely no doubt that the obesity levels in this country have risen hugely over the last 30 years.”
“The younger generation will have a shorter life span. They’re highly likely to get diabetes, cancer and other diseases due to poor diet.”
“We live in an obesogenic environment, and really we’ve got to tackle the whole food system in order to really see change.”
“But advertising is important, and if we can use advertising for good, and actually inspire people, kids will see the benefits and wonders of fresh fruit and veg.”
Jo Rallings also heads the Veg Power campaign, which joined forces with ITV to push for a radical advert on prime time television.
How powerful is advertising?
The Children’s Food Campaign worked closely with Sadiq Khan to push for the TFL advert ban. They believe advertising is one of the main reasons for London’s current obesity epidemic.
Ben Reynolds, CFC Communications Officer, told CityNews how our habits as consumers are “completely defined” by what we see advertised.
“Advertising works, if it didn’t work they wouldn’t spend so much money on it.
“Advertising alters our perception of what is meant by moderation. The more adverts we see, the more we want to guzzle those enticing fizzy drinks.”
“The new advert ban applies to all demographics – be it richer or poorer areas – it’s a principle that applies across the board.”
“It’s a step in the right direction, but it’s no silver bullet.”
Is advertising the only cause?
The Food Foundation’s new #BrokenPlate report identifies ten main issues with the current food system, one of which is advertising.
Another prevalent problem is food poverty, which is at its highest rate among children in London for 10 years.
For example, Southwark is the worst inner-London borough for childhood obesity, and contains many of London’s poorest areas.
Fresh fruit and veg can be inaccessible to many families on a tight budget, and those using food banks generally only have access to tinned and packaged products.
The report has led to a Food Insecurity Bill, announced yesterday, and led by MP Emma Lewell-Buck. The Department for Work and Pensions will now measure food insecurity as part of their annual Family Resources Survey.
My #FoodInsecurityBill is happening! After years of campaigning together with the @Food_Foundation and @EndHunger_UK the Government are beginning to measure Food Insecurity in the UK later this year: https://t.co/k1Y0inBGYN pic.twitter.com/YSzQC92EN8
— Emma Lewell-Buck MP (@EmmaLewellBuck) February 27, 2019
According to the Food Foundation, the poorest 10% of UK households would need to spend 74% of their disposable income on food to meet the Eatwell Guide costs. This is compared to only 6% in the richest 10%.
Among the other issues identified by the report is places to buy food. They found that 1 in 4 places to buy food, on average, are fast food outlets.
