Tired of the growing child obesity epidemic, Toronto's medical officer of health is calling for a ban on junk food ads aimed at children.
Dr. David McKeown says such advertising should be banned. He wants Health Canada, Industry Canada and the Ontario Ministry of Government and Consumer Services to ban all commercial advertising of food and beverages aimed at children.
He also wants the City of Toronto to bar food ads aimed at kids at city-funded services or facilities, including the Toronto Transit Commission.
In a report he presented at Tuesday's meeting of the board of health, McKeown says research shows that eating habits, both good and bad, are established early in life. He cites U.S. studies that show that kids see 27 television commercials for sugary cereals for every public announcement on healthy eating.
"Food and beverage products developed for, and advertised to young people are dominated by those that are calorie dense and nutrient poor," reads the report.
City Councillor Doug Holyday says the call for a government-enforced ban was a stretch: "Maybe they should be trying to accomplish what they're trying to accomplish in an educational way, as opposed to telling legal companies selling legal products that they're not able to advertise them," he said.
But McKeown notes that Britain has banned advertising of food high in fat, sugar and salt during kids' TV programs. Sweden and Norway have similar laws. And Quebec has banned all forms of advertising to children under 13.
McKeown acknowledges that the food industry has voluntary rules on the advertising of junk foods to kids, but his report says the rules are inadequate.
The criteria are loose, the report charges, noting, for example, that some cereal makers are simply lowering the sugar content of their products to fit the new rules, but not boosting the nutrient content.
