The government has abandoned plans to impose a pre-9pm ban on junk food TV advertising

Plans for junk food ad ban dropped

Extract from the Guardian:

"In a major victory for the advertising industry and commercial broadcasters, it is thought that the Department of Health has lost the battle to introduce a pre-watershed ban following a series of discussions with other government departments, notably the culture minister, James Purnell, MediaGuardian.co.uk can reveal.

Many industry observers had expected that the new obesity strategy, to be launched tomorrow by the health secretary, Alan Johnson, and the public health minister, Dawn Primarolo, would drastically extend the TV restrictions Ofcom brought in last year.

Ofcom has stated that such a ban would have a "disproportionate" effect on the industry, costing as much as £211m in TV ad revenue.

But campaign groups are now convinced that they have lost the battle on the pre-watershed ban.

"It sounds as if the advertising and food industries owe the Department for Culture, Media and Sport a large pat on the back," said Richard Watts, the coordinator of the Children's Food Campaign.

"Our understanding is that the Department of Health supported some very tough restrictions on junk food advertising and marketing, but lost the Whitehall battle to keep them in the obesity strategy.""

Lose weight, reduce your risk of most cancers, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, stroke, heart disease, vascular dementia, osteopenia, osteoporosis, hypercholesterolaemia, depression, liver and kidney problems, and improve your health in many other ways without drugs or expense by eating less salt! - Try it! - You will feel so much better!

See my website http://www.wildeaboutsteroids.co.uk/.html (The site does not sell anything and has no banners or sponsors or adverts - just helpful information.)

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How to Lose weight!

Children and Obesity

Read my Mensa article on Obesity and the Salt Connection

See Sodium in foods and

Associated health conditions and

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Wider implications of the flawed theory that excess calorie intake causes obesity

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TV loophole lets children watch junk food ads. - IT'S THE HIGH SALT JUNK FOOD - LIKE CHEESTRINGS AND CRISPS - THAT DOES GREATEST HARM TO CHILDREN...

TV loophole lets children watch junk food ads

Extract from the Telegraph:

"Millions of children are being exposed to junk food advertisements on television despite regulations to stamp them out, says a new report.

Mars bars, Cheestrings snacks, McDonald's restaurants, Pringles crisps and a host of other junk food brands are regularly being advertised during programmes popular with young children, says research by the consumer group Which?.

Complicated rules introduced by the broadcasting regulator Ofcom have failed to prevent children aged nine and under from being exposed to a regular stream of crisp, chocolate and fast food commercials, its report says.

The rules, which came into force in April, ban any product high in sugar, saturated fat or salt being advertised during a programme watched predominantly by children. However, the rules are based on the proportion of children watching a programme rather than the actual number.

Which? analysed all programmes broadcast during two weeks in September and found that only two of the top 10 most popular shows watched by the under-10s, in terms of numbers, were subject to the restrictions.

The three most popular programmes were all family orientated - Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway, X-Factor and You've Been Framed - watched by 1.2 million under-10s.

See Children and Obesity

Junk Food Makers are targeting children on the internet

Junk Food Makers reach children on internet - Telegraph

Extract:

"Food manufacturers were criticised yesterday for targeting their advertising at children on the internet and social networking websites.

Several major food companies have begun using the sites to promote their products following a ban on junk food advertising on television.In April, Ofcom, which regulates broadcasters, outlawed all adverts to children under nine years old that promoted sugary, salty or fatty foods. At the end of the year the ban extends to 15-year-olds.

However, Ofcom has no remit to regulate the internet, and adverts on websites are self-regulated by the advertising industry. The ban on junk food advertising also does not cover the cinema.

Campaigners argue that fast food chains and sweet companies are adopting new tactics to get around the TV ban.

Skittles, which are made by the confectionery giant Mars, have a profile on the popular social networking site Bebo. The page has already been viewed more than 50,000 times and attracted more than 3,500 "friends".

Meanwhile McDonald's is also targeting children on the internet. It features a Kids Zone on its website, which lets children play games that feature the company's clown mascot, Ronald McDonald.

In cinemas, the sugary cereal Coco Pops has placed adverts before the new Harry Potter film. Kellogg's, which makes Coco Pops, admits the advert would not be allowed during a children's programme on television.

Campaigners argue that all these tactics break the spirit, if not the letter, of the new regulations. Richard Watts, who heads the Sustain campaign, which has fought against junk food advertising, said: "I don't think it is a legitimate tactic to shift their advertising in this way. If Ofcom thinks that under 16-year-olds should be protected, that is a principle that should be carried through to other media. The country has to decide - given the rates of childhood obesity - whether we make sure all marketing is regulated or whether we let the problem continue.""

It is a high salt intake that causes child obesity. - See http://www.wildeaboutsteroids.co.uk/children.html

Lose weight by eating less salt! Go on! - Try it! - You will feel so much better!
How to Lose weight!

See my website http://www.wildeaboutsteroids.co.uk/.html
(The site does not sell anything and has no banners or sponsors or adverts - just helpful information.)

Read my Mensa article on Obesity and the Salt Connection

See Sodium in foods and Associated health conditions

I can be contacted via my website if you need my further help. My help is free.

Patients groups have criticised GPs over cost of phone calls

GPs criticised over pricy phone codes - Telegraph

Extracts:

"Patients groups have criticised GPs for switching their phone numbers to expensive 0844 dialling codes.

Although the phone numbers are not technically premium rate they are around four pence per minute more expensive than a standard local call.

Campaigners have called for an end to the practice saying it is unfair on elderly patients who can run up large bills calling their surgery regularly.

It is understood that 1,200 GP surgeries have switched to the new numbers and argue that it allows them to provide a better service.

Getting through on the telephone to GP practices can be extremely difficult as some surgeries operate a system where appointments can only be booked on the day, causing a rush of calls in the early morning.

However, the telcoms watchdog, Ofcom, has said it is not appropriate for public sector organisations to use the more expensive phone lines.

Joyce Robins, co-director of Patient Concern, said: “It is quite ridiculous. People should not pay more for their calls to their GP. I thought this had been stopped by the Government, but they have obviously found a loophole. "

"Two years ago the Department of Health banned the use of 0870 numbers in GP surgeries which are premium rate and cost 10 pence a minute to call. "

"But the Say No To 0870 campaign against chargeable numbers said that patients were put in a queue system when using the 0844 numbers which cost them money without talking to anyone.

And Michael Summers, chairman of the Patients Association said it was disgraceful and immoral to charge sick and vulnerable people more than necessary to call their GP practice.

He said: “It is a scandal. It is another way to extract money from the people who can least afford it. We have got excessive car park charges at hospital, bedside telephones and now this new one.

“These people are ill. These are not the people who should be targeted to have money extracted from them. It is immoral.”"


Lose weight by eating less salt! Go on! - Try it! - You will feel so much better!
How to Lose weight!

See my website http://www.wildeaboutsteroids.co.uk/.html
(The site does not sell anything and has no banners or sponsors or adverts - just helpful information.)

Read my Mensa article on Obesity and the Salt Connection

See Sodium in foods and Associated health conditions

I can be contacted via my website if you need my further help. My help is free...

Junk food TV ad ban will cover under-16s: Ofcom

Junk food TV ad ban will cover under-16s

Extract:

"New rules designed to reduce children's exposure to "junk food" adverts on television were announced yesterday — and immediately came under fire from the food industry and health campaigners.

The regulator Ofcom said the ban will stop commercials for foods high in salt, sugar and fat being broadcast during children's programmes and shows "of particular appeal to viewers under 16".

This is part of a Government drive to reduce childhood obesity after evidence that television adverts have a modest effect on youngsters' diets.

The food industry called the rules ridiculous and disproportionate. Under the formula used to define junk food, adverts for cheddar cheese, Marmite, ketchup, raisins and porridge would be banned."

See also Junk food ad rules too watered down, say health groups

If adverts for "raisins and porridge" would be banned that would be strange indeed because both of these foods are low in salt and so are very good for children and would certainly not cause obesity in children! - Cheddar cheese, Marmite, ketchup are all high in salt/sodium and so are unsuitable foods for children, especially if the children are already overweight.

When children become fat it is essentially because they are eating salty food. Children are especially vulnerable to salt because of their small size and small blood volume, and because their blood vessels are weaker than those of adults. Salt, and the water it attracts to it, can more easily distend weak blood vessels than fully mature ones. The resulting increase in blood volume and other fluid retention results in weight gain, as well as higher blood pressure and many other undesirable consequences. The smaller the child, the less salt they should have - and a baby, of course, should have no salt at all. - Babies can die if they are fed salty food.

Because children have much smaller bodies than adults it would be best if they had no more than half as much salt as adults. Most children, however, have much more than this because they eat so many snacks and instant foods. Just one cheeseburger, for instance, contains almost double the recommended daily salt maximum for children. There are high amounts of salt in packet soups, instant noodles, ketchup and sauces, sausages, burgers and savoury snacks. Fat children will lose weight fast if they eat less salt. And even faster still if they eat plenty of fresh fruit and unsalted vegetables, because these are rich in potassium, which helps to displace sodium from the body.

See http://www.wildeaboutsteroids.co.uk/children.html