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Call For Aggressive Action On Banning Fast Food Ads

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 4 (Bernama) -- Citing serious concerns over the health threat posed by junk food on children, the Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (FOMCA) wants the government to develop stronger legislation against the marketing of unhealthy foods to children based on the international code.

FOMCA also wanted the government to enforce bans on radio and TV advertisements promoting unhealthy food between 6am and 9pm, its secretary-general, Muhammad Sha'ani Abdullah said Thursday.

Describing the junk food threat as "an enemy that is becoming larger than what we think", Muhammad claimed that the junk food marketing was a serious threat that involved the entire nation and should be addressed immediately.

Speaking at the launch of the 'Junk Food Trap' report at the Consumers International Kuala Lumpur office here, he said it was also a proven fact that junk food was increasingly becoming a major contributory factor in the soaring childhood overweight and obesity rate in Malaysia.

"They have invaded children's television programmes, resorted to all marketing gimmicks imaginable...utilising cartoon characters, celebrities and free toys, which we all know children would have difficulty in saying no to.

"Even worse, they have brought their marketing techniques right into our school and associated their unhealthy products with healthy lifestyle by sponsoring sports themed activities," he added.

Muhammad said that its impact on children and the annual health budget was alarmingly too significant to be ignored.

He said in 2004, at least 4.1% of children below the age of five were overweight, adding that in the beginning of 2007, the Ministry of Health spent RM180 million or 20% of its RM900 million budget on drugs for chronic diseases, mainly hypertension, diabetes and high cholestrol, and the number of patients was expected to increase by 13% by the year 2020.

"We commend the recent initiative of the Ministry of Health on banning fast food TV commercials...but we ask the Ministry to do more for us to be able to effectively protect our children," he said.

Meanwhile, the Legal Advisor of FOMCA and Head of Consumers International Office for Asia Pacific, Datuk Indrani Thuraisingham said the promoting of unhealthy foods, in whatever form, in schools, must be stopped.

Indrani also asked food manufacturers to stop practising double-standard policies on food marketing and standardise their implementation in all countries, regardless of geographic location and economic status.

"We appeal to the government to focus on preventive healthcare. Put in more effort and allocation on media-based campaigns to promote healthy eating and physical activity.

"We ask you to fund a research to further assess the impact of food marketing to children's diet and health," added Indrani.

The Consumers International and FOMCA hoped the launch today would be a success and the report and legislation would be approved by the Malaysian government.

-- BERNAMA

# posted by share n care @ 7:34 AM