As advocates push for sugar tax, advertising’s efforts still too sweet for some

Globe and Mail

Participants have consistently been given high marks for compliance to the rules. But are those rules tough enough? Some influential voices say no.

Health Canada is currently considering new regulations that would impose broader restrictions on food advertising that is targeted at those under 17. One item up for discussion is whether to ban television advertising of certain kinds of foods during times when kids are most likely to be watching TV – weekday mornings, weekday evenings and weekends. In addition, a Senate bill has proposed amending the Food and Drugs Act to tighten rules on food advertising to children.

All of this is a response to a real health crisis: 9.9 per cent of girls and 14.7 per cent of boys in Canada are obese, numbers that have risen sharply since the mid-1970s. The regulation of advertising is seen as one tool in the fight against that trend, not only because children are susceptible to the tactics of persuasive messaging but because they are forming habits that could affect their health for the rest of their lives. Read full article…