Food industry welcomes tighter self-regulation in obesity battle
children's advertising and tackle obesity have been welcomed by
Grocery Manufacturers Association.
The body, which represents a significant number of major food makers, believes that the National Advertising Review Council (NARC)'s new initiatives will help determine the proper self-regulatory response to new marketing practices aimed at children.
"In July, Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) members that are supporters of the Children's Advertising Review Unit (CARU) presented a number of recommendations that CARU could take to strengthen the self-regulation of advertising to children," said president C. Manly Molpus.
"Since then, the National Advertising Review Council (NARC) has swiftly addressed many of our concerns. We are pleased that NARC and CARU have responded so thoughtfully to our suggestions, and we look forward to working with them in the coming weeks as they consider the best ways to put these recommendations into practice."
Food advertising specifically targeted at children has come under fire of late. A recent survey in the US found that three quarters of such advertising promotes products with nutritionally-deficient and high calorie ingredients.
According to research by Kristen Harrison, a speech communication professor at the University of Illinois, nutrient-poor high-sugar products such as candy, sweets and soft drinks now dominate television advertising aimed at children between the ages of six to 11.
"To me, the most frightening fact is that 16 percent of the children in this country are obese," said Dr Julie Gerberding, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently. "That number has increased by at least two times over the last 20 years."
Another worrying fact is that Type II Diabetes, which used to be known as adult onset diabetes, is now increasingly being diagnosed in kids, adding to the cardiovascular risk profile of children.
So in response to growing concern that irresponsible advertising is contributing to the current obesity crisis, NARC, which sets policies and procedures for CARU, has outlined a number of new actions designed to better serve consumers and the children's advertising industry.
"The joint FTC and Department of Health and Human Services Workshop (HHS) on marketing, self-regulation and childhood obesity launched a comprehensive dialogue on childhood obesity," said James R. Guthrie, NARCpresident and CEO.
"During the Workshop, the GMA offered many positive suggestions that are reflected in these initiatives. We also encourage all companies that advertise to children to participate in the ongoing dialogue to ensure an effective, independent and transparent system of self-regulation."
In order to strengthen self-regulation, CARU has linked a new and expanded complaint form to the "File a Complaint" pages of more than 100 Better Business Bureaus, accessed through Better Business Bureau's website. In addition, it is now easier for consumers to obtain individual case decisions free upon request.
CARU also plans to add members to its recently expanded Academic Advisory Board, which includes experts in nutrition, child mental health, cognitive development, marketing and communications. CARU relies on theexpert advice of this board in determining whether to open cases when ads present questions about children's perceptions or nutrition.
NARC is an alliance of the Association of National Advertisers (ANA), the AmericanAssociation of Advertising Agencies (AAAA), the American Advertising Federation(AAF) and the Council of Better Business Bureaus (CBBB). Since its inception in1971, NARC has established the policies and procedures for the National Advertising Division (NAD), the Children's Advertising Review Unit (CARU), and the National Advertising Review Board (NARB).
The Children's Advertising Review Unit (CARU) was founded in 1974 to promoteresponsible children's advertising as part of a strategic alliance with the majoradvertising trade associations through the National Advertising Review Council.CARU is the children's arm of the advertising industry's self-regulation program and evaluates child-directed advertising and promotional material in all media to advance truthfulness, accuracy and consistency with its Self-Regulatory Guidelines for Children's Advertising and relevant laws.
