Spanish authorities have banned unhealthy food advertisements of all sorts that aims at wooing kids, in an effort to combat the growing obesity problems among children.
Alberto Garzon, Spain’s consumer affairs minister, announced on Thursday that ads for sugary foods such as chocolate bars, candy, sodas and more will not be allowed to be shown anywhere.
From 2022, this ban will affect nearly all platforms including TV, radio, online outlets, and mobile apps. Under-16s’ content on these platforms will be altered to make sure no high-sugar food and drinks are promoted. ‘Minors are vulnerable consumers and it is our duty to protect them from advertising,’ Garzon said. Advertising about chocolate bars, ice cream, sodas, soft drinks, pastries and more will be completely prohibited starting next year.
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The ban was announced at the time several studies showed that nearly one in three children in the country are considered obese – overweight. In 1984, only three percent of children were considered obese.
Advertising is one major reason behind the obesity epidemic, according to experts, since children gather information and develop curiosity for the products they see in advertisements.
This problem is not unique to Spain. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the percentage of obese children has increased from four percent in 1975 to nearly 18 percent now. The products that are being banned from Spanish advertisements are the same ones that the WHO experts had flagged as harmful for children, particularly those aged five to 19.
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