5 ways to protect kids from junk food marketing

The (curiously named) Obesity Task Force has issued a report highlighting the massive hike in food companies’ activity that is now targeted towards children online and is discussed in detail in this Guardian article published yesterday.

Children are being targeted by junk food manufacturers through internet advertising, chatrooms, text messages and “advergames” on websites, an obesity watchdog warned yesterday, calling for global action to protect their health.

Self-regulation by the food industry has failed, according to a report from the UK-based International Obesity Task Force to a conference in Sydney, Australia. “New forms of advertising are increasingly being employed which bypass parental control and target children directly,” says the report by Tim Lobstein, coordinator of the taskforce’s childhood obesity group.

“These include internet promotion (using interactive games, free downloads, blogs and chatterbots), SMS texting to children’s cell phones, product promotions in schools and pre-schools and brand advertising in educational materials.”

It’s no surprise that self-regulation has failed - it never really stood a chance. It’s the corporate equivalent of the fad-diet. But perhaps what is surprising is how cynically some companies have moved to exploit the lack of ANY regulation governing marketing to children online. While the Food Standards Agency (FSA) is pressurising Ofcom to reduce the exposure of kids to junk food ads on TV (and with the support of the British Heart Foundation amongst others) there is clearly a need for a cross-media regulatory body with teeth - and nice, sharp, shiny white ones too.

Without an effective media neutral regulatory body, it’s left to the stakeholders - food manufacturers, media owners, digital agencies and parents - to figure out what’s fit for kids’ consumption. As an advergame creator, we have a responsible role to play in this process and it’s one we take seriously, but you can’t regulate successfully from the bottom up - this is what we have now and it clearly isn’t working so here’s my 5 alternative ways to protect children:

1. Manufacturers - make healthier food. So simple it’s brilliant! I have found that my kids *will* actually eat food that hasn’t been pumped to within an inch of it’s life with sodium, saturated fat and sugar.
2. Government - tax junk food. If they won’t take out the unhealthy bits, then add an ‘NHS surcharge’.
3. Parents - do your bit. Lead by example - explain what a bad diet can do. And figure out how the parental filters work on the pc.
4. Agencies - anticipate the regulations; they will come. Be more scupulous and exercise some sense of ethical propriety.
5. Sweden - move there. They’re just so much more grown up about these things.