British Medical Association takes stand against product placement of unhealthy food

The British Medical Association (BMA) has formally voiced its concern about plans to allow product placement for alcohol and foods high in fat, sugar and salt on UK television.

The BMA said that allowing product placement of tobacco, alcohol, gambling, and foods high in fat, sugar or salt would ?reduce the protection of young people from harmful marketing influences and adversely impact on public health?.

Its comments were made in a submission to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport as part of its consultation on Product Placement on Television, which is due to close on Friday.

The Government said that it favours changing UK regulation to permit UK television broadcasters to include product placement in their programmes.

However, in its submission, the BMA said: ?By its nature product placement allows marketing to be integrated into programmes, blurring the distinction between advertising and editorial, and is not always recognisable. Studies show that children are particularly susceptible to embedded brand messages and these operate at a subconscious level.?

The BMA has published several reports in relation to key public health concerns, including childhood obesity.

It said there has been an alarming rise in the levels of obesity among children in the UK and this trend is expected to continue.

The BMA added: ?The media has an important role to play in forming attitudes to nutrition as advertising and marketing are key policy-level factors which can affect dietary choices.

?The BMA believes that there should be a complete ban on the advertising and marketing of unhealthy foodstuffs, including product placement and inappropriate sponsorship programmes targeted at school children. Celebrities and children’s television characters should only endorse healthy products that meet nutritional criteria laid down by the Food Standards Agency (FSA).?

It added that existing safeguards were insufficient.

The professional organisation for doctors in the UK also highlighted research which showed that alcohol marketing is independently linked with the onset, continuance and amount of alcohol consumed by young people.