Slovenia’s public broadcaster has adopted new advertising rules to counteract the negative impact of TV advertising on the rising rates of obesity in children and teenagers.
The director of RTV Slovenija, Marko Filli, signed an order banning ads from manufacturers of chocolate, candy, desserts, biscuits, sweet rolls and energy drinks during hours of the day when a younger audience is in front of the TV screen, according to a report by the Lider portal.
The new rules are in line with national legislation and recommendations of the WHO, as well as a recent study prepared by the Slovenian Institute of Nutrition. According to them, the impact of TV advertising is largely responsible for the alarming trend of increasing obesity among young people.
The study, which analysed the content of TV channels over a one-year period, showed that 96% of advertisements for food products relate to food whose commercial advertising to children and adolescents should be banned.
Up to 77% of such advertising relates to products with a high content of sugar and other substances that affect weight gain.
Commercial TV broadcasters have opted only to reduce ads for junk food, while at the same time increase the airtime for educational programs with recommendations on physical activity and healthy lifestyle.
© 2017 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Branislav Pekic. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine
