The Childrens Food Bill: Why we need a new law, not more voluntary approaches

This report places the crisis in children's diet-related health in the context of the unhealthy food environments which have become part-and-parcel of their everyday lives.

Using a range of examples from a number of policy areas (for example, control of tobacco advertising, alcohol promotion and marketing of breastmilk substitutes), the report explains how industry is unable, in a competitive market, to exercise the social responsibility required to make voluntary approaches successful. It also demolishes the many arguments used by the food and advertising industries to promote self-regulation rather than effective legislation.

Report contents

Summary

1. What is wrong with children's diets?

• The "timebomb" is exploding
• What is causing the problem?
  • Junk food promotions targeted at children
  • Poor quality food in schools
  • Inadequate food education and skills
  • Insufficient promotion for healthy food
• How the Children's Food Bill will address the causes
  • Improving the quality of children’s food
  • Protecting children from unhealthy food marketing
  • Improving the quality of food in schools
  • Ensuring all children have essential food skills and knowledge
  • Promoting healthy food to children
  • Support for the Children's Food Bill
• Government's current approach
  • The five-a-day programme
  • The "Jamie Oliver" initiative
  • No change in the curriculum
  • Voluntary restrictions on food marketing

2. Voluntary approaches do not work

• Case studies
  • Tobacco advertising
  • Alcohol promotion
  • Marketing breastmilk substitutes
  • Using pesticides and antibiotics in farming
  • Controlling supermarket power
• Why are voluntary approaches ineffective?
  • Voluntary codes are weak
  • There are commercial incentives not to comply
  • There are no meaningful sanctions for non-compliance
  • Independent operation and monitoring is rare
  • The real purpose of voluntary approaches?

3. Arguments used against the Children's Food Bill

• There is no problem
• There is a problem, but it is all down to physical inactivity
• All foods can be healthy
• Food marketing has no, or only a minor effect on children's diets
• Media literacy is the solution
• Voluntary codes are more flexible
• Marketing is already heavily regulated
• It is parents' responsibility, not the "nanny" state
• An ad ban would be:
• Anti-competitive
• Disproportionate
• A short-term, simplistic and populist measure
• A problem for children's TV
• Ineffective
• Too costly

References

Appendices

• National organisations supporting the Children’s Food Bill
• MPs who signed Early Day Motion 1256 in support of the Children's Food Bill