The current regulatory code, the PAOS, is not mandatory for advertisers, which shows that the model is “ineffective in promoting healthy eating”says the head of political advocacy. “The scientific evidence is clear in this sense: the more advertising there is for unhealthy foods, higher consumption“especially during childhood and adolescence,” he adds. “Unhealthy foods are those that contain high levels of added sugars, saturated fats, trans fats, socio and artificial additives” explains nutritionist Pilar García.
Furthermore, Spain is one of the countries of the European Union in which the child poverty risk rate and that of obesity show a correlation higher. The percentage of obese children, 23.7%, doubles in households with the lowest incomes compared to families with the highest incomes, whose percentage is 10.5%. The nutrition expert assures that “the youngest are particularly vulnerable because they acquire the habits of the people they live with.”
According to the nutritionist, the unhealthy foods that children and adolescents consume the most are sugary drinks, ultra-processed fast food and industrial pastries. “Whether it is for convenience, lack of time or taste, this type of food has become increasingly present in our daily lives,” he explains. In addition, it is easy to find these foods in vending machines in schools and leisure centers. The professional regrets that healthy options are non-existent outside the home.
For Pilar Garcia, the marketing strategy Behind this industry lies what most affects the little ones. “They often turn to cartoons or do popular activities while consuming these products,” he emphasizes. “For example, bright colors or animated characters are used in the labeling, it is also encouraged that toys or collectibles are included inside the packaging that promote continue purchase of a product. In addition, in supermarkets, the positioning of these foods is done in the ideal field of vision for children, in the lower aisles,” he explains.
Faced with this situation, the Children’s Platform has launched a campaign to demand “coconut advertising”With this action, they propose that the harmful components of food and drinks be made clearer in the tagged. As well as dissemination workshops in schools to better inform about ingredients that are harmful to health. “The figures for childhood obesity continue to increase year after year,” warns García. The expert agrees with the platform: “education campaigns aimed at young people and parents are necessary to raise awareness about the quality and nutritional value of food, since their perception is not adequate.”
