The national strategy to prevent obesity and diabetes, which includes the regulation of scrap food, has failed to protect the rights of childhood.
The above follows from a monitoring made by the power of the consumer (EPC) and the network for the rights of childhood (Redim), within the framework of the Children's Day celebration.
The results disclosed indicate that if it is taken into account that the programs most seen by children, as reportedreality shows, exposure to junk food advertising is still high.
The monitoring showed that in a week children can be exposed to 42 different brands of junk food, without considering the products that, despite complying with the nutritional criteria they remain an important source of sugars, such as nectars, sugary yogurts and cerealsof cash for breakfast., As these brands are added, the figure amounts to 52 brands, in different flavors and product presentations.
“The brands with the highest number of guidelines were of those products that meet the lax nutritional criteria, however, there was also a high presence of sugary and energy drinks such as Coca Cola, from the Fruut Valley, Seven Up mineralized lemonade, lives 100 and desserts as MagnumCookies and Cream and Red Velvet ”.
Also, monitoring revealed that in a week 272 junk food ads in the programs and schedules most watched by children are transmitted on average.This information indicates that in a year 13 thousand 056 Announcements of junk food are transmitted.
“Young children who still do not go to primary school or those of school age who attend the evening shift are also exposed to more ads transmitted in both channels, products such as Nutella, Marinela Gansito, Emperor cookies, Gomitas Pandita, Milky Way, andMitisho.The influence of this advertising can in many cases translate to purchase and consumption of junk food. ”
But if the advertising of food and beverages is taken into account that, although they meet the nutritional criteria are an important source of sugars such as nectars, yogurts and cash cereals, the figure increases to 328 ads of junk food a week.
"This indicates that in a year 15 thousand 744 ads per year of junk food in the programs and schedules most seen by children are transmitted," he says.
Likewise, the results, released through a statement, explain that animated characters (marinela, chocoyogo hersheys), or celebrities (lives 100) that, according to the criteria of UNICEF,They are elements that attract the attention of children and that should be regulated.
In addition, it was found that, as an alternate way to promote these products, they are advertised through supermarket offers or promotions associated with discounts (in amusement park), which were scheduled during regulated hours and programming.
"The only healthy product that was announced in the 65 hours of recording was bottled water, however, there is a total absence of healthy food advertising such as vegetables and fruits."
For its part, Fiorella Espinosa, EPC Food Health Researcher noted that monitoring allows childrenOn the Internet, in public spaces, in the packaging themselves, etc., it is still exposed to this advertising in soap operas and other programs that must be regulated, as well as night schedules.
"It must be remembered that, although theAdvertising is not specifically directed to children, it is relevant to minimize the exposure of childhood to obesogenic environments.On Sunday, for example, 23 ads of sugary drinks, 7 fast food and 3 salted snacks were transmitted, which can directly affect children's feeding practices. ”
Telenovelas consumers
In parallel, a survey was carried out with children from Mexico City that confirmed the previous findings of the IFT, showing that what they see are soap operas and unitary dramatized by recognizing each and every one of these programs transmitted in the programming bar of the Canal2, from 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
"It should be noted that, during the year, despite statements and indications that they also see children's programming such as cartoons and series, as well as being in contact with platforms such as the Internet, children are high consumers of programs such as soap operas," they point out the results.
Sandra Mejía, Coordinator of Legislation and Public Policies of the Network for the Rights of Children in Mexico (REDIM), said that “the national strategy to prevent obesity and diabetes, has failed, in matters of advertising for the protection of rightsof boys and girls.The sugary beverage industry continues to use different attractive promotion and advertising strategies for this sector, with the purpose of maintaining or increasing sales of its products, directly violating the right to information and enjoying the highest possible health level,established in the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the General Law of the Rights of Children and Adolescents ”.
In this regard, Alejandro Calvillo, director of EPC commented that various studies have shown that a weak regulation has an effect similar to the absence of regulation.In this case, he said, the regulation of food and drink advertising allows children to continue to be exposed to a large amount of high food ads, fats and sodium.
“There are regulations in other countries that do not allow this advertising from 6 am to 10 pm at night, as in Chile.If we really want to have this regulation, cover all means such as exterior, internet, packaging, etc., as well as all deception tools such as the use of characters, gifts, promotions, otherwise, the national strategy againstObesity and diabetes will not be achieving its goal, as is currently, ”he said.
