Kirklees Council has taken its views against product placement on television to government in a bid to safeguard young people’s health.
Council Leader Cllr Mehboob Khan said that American-style placing of products in popular programmes will be detrimental to the health of people locally and across the country.
In a letter on behalf of the Council to Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Ben Bradshaw, Cllr khan says he believes that the economic benefits of product placement would not outweigh the impact on health.
He added: “Both Ofcom and the Food Standards Agency have acknowledged that advertising and marketing messages have an impact on children’s food choices, and while the government has ruled out product placement in children’s programming, most young people watch programmes like the X Factor where placement is likely to be allowed.
“Almost 70% of children’s television viewing is outside specific children’s programming times.”
Cllr Khan, who is also a non executive director of NHS Kirklees, said the marketing of unhealthy products towards younger viewers would hinder work across the district to improve diet by reducing consumption of food and drinks high in fat, salt or sugar, reducing levels of alcohol consumption and increasing levels of physical activity. He called for restrictions on which products could be advertised in this way, and to avoid marketing unhealthy products to young people.
He added: “We are totally committed to tackling these health issues and particularly closing the gap between our communities, and this can only be done through a true partnership between local people and the organisations who influence their food, physical activity, tobacco and alcohol choices every day.
“However, what we can do locally is limited if we fail to get support through national policy.”
