Amy Matthews
Children and obesity: a pan-European project examining the role of food marketing'
University of Oxford
rising levels obesity schoolage children across europe causing increasing concern children obesity associated avoidable chronic diseases project sought examine effects promotion within food marketing given influential role plays childrens dietsa questionnaire datacollection protocol designed national coordinators facilitating standardized responses coordinators collected data within 20 european union countries relating food promotion childrenresults showed unhealthy foods savoury snacks confectionary commonly marketed consumed children across countries television found prime promotional medium inschool internet marketing seen growth areas media literacy programmes designed specifically counterbalance effects food marketing children reported 20 countries ineffective incoherent pattern regulation observed across countries governments imposed tough restrictions preferring persuade industry voluntarily act responsibly health consumer public interest groups supported food marketing restrictions whilst industry media groups advocated selfregulationrecommendations include amendment european unions television without frontiers directive ban tv advertising unhealthy food children adoption commonly agreed european union definition unhealthy food establishment mechanism paneuropean monitoring nature extent food marketing children regulation