Child Marketing
The problem
Conditions such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, certain cancers and obesity are increasingly prevalent in children and adolescents. According to WHO, 25 per cent of children aged seven to nine in the WHO European Region are overweight, including 11 per cent with obesity.1 Among adolescents, the prevalence of overweight and obesity increased from 21 per cent in 2018 to 23 per cent in 2022. Children affected face a higher long-term risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, certain cancers and other chronic conditions.
Children’s and adolescents’ diets are also far from balanced. Fewer than two in five adolescents in the WHO European Region eat fruit or vegetables every day. At the same time, one in four reports eating sweets or chocolate daily, while 15 per cent consume sugary soft drinks every day. Children from lower-income households are particularly likely to be affected by unhealthy diets and excess weight.
Unhealthy diets are among the leading causes of illness and premature death in Europe and are estimated to cause more than one million deaths per year.
The current situation
Food companies use television advertising, colourful packaging, cartoon characters, toys, sponsorships, video games, social-media platforms and influencers to promote products that are often high in sugar, fat or salt.
Existing EU rules do not provide comprehensive protection. The Audiovisual Media Services Directive mainly encourages self-regulatory codes for advertising around children's programmes. This approach does not amount to a binding EU-wide ban covering all media and all advertising that children actually see.
The Digital Services Act bans targeted ads to children, but not contextual advertising, influencer marketing or branded entertainment.
What foodwatch is calling for
foodwatch is calling on the European Union and national governments to introduce clear, binding and comprehensive legislation protecting all children and adolescents from the marketing of unhealthy food.
Rules should apply to any marketing reaching children, not just content labelled 'child-directed'. They should cover television, radio, streaming services, social media, influencers, video-sharing platforms, online games, sponsorships, product packaging, supermarket promotions and outdoor advertising near schools, nurseries and playgrounds.
Whether a product may be marketed to children should be determined using the independent WHO Europe Nutrient Profile Model.
Voluntary industry pledges and narrow rules applying only to traditional children’s programmes are not enough. The EU should establish effective minimum standards while allowing Member States to adopt stricter national measures.
The health and rights of children must take priority over the commercial interests of the food and advertising industries.