The latest Change4Life campaign, backed up a by a free app which scans product barcodes and compares ingredients, aims to educate families about the significant amount of sugar children are consuming even before they get to school.

The new push from Public Health England (PHE), the government department behind Change4Life, launched today. Its main message is that children consume half the daily recommended sugar intake before the morning school bell rings.

The campaign urges parents to Be Food Smart and take more control of their children’s diets. The new Be Food Smart app highlights just how much sugar, saturated fat and salt can be found in everyday food and drink that their children consume.

The free app works by scanning the barcode of products allowing parents to compare brands and also features food detective activities for children and mini missions the whole family can enjoy.

The app is an integral part of a campaign that also includes TV, digital and outdoor, plus the distribution of 4.6 million free Be Food Smart packs to primary school aged children and families at local events across England.

PHE says that on average children in England consume more than 11g of sugar at breakfast time alone, almost three sugar cubes. The recommended daily maximum is no more than five cubes of sugar for 4 to 6 year olds and no more than six cubes for 7 to 10 year olds per day. By the end of the day, UK children have on average consumed more than three times these recommendations.

A survey conducted for PHE’s Change4Life campaign found that parents are unsure what makes up a healthy breakfast for their children. Most parents (84%) whose children consume three or more sugar cubes in their breakfast think their child’s breakfast is healthy.

PHE says some of the main sources of sugar at breakfast time include sugary cereals, drinks and spreads. Away from the breakfast table, children are also consuming too much sugar, saturated fat and salt in items such as confectionery, biscuits, muffins, pastries and soft drinks.

Dr Alison Tedstone, chief nutritionist, Public Health England, says: “Children have far too much sugar, and a lot of it is before their first lesson of the day. It’s crucial for children to have a healthy breakfast, but we know the mornings in a busy household can be fraught. That’s why we’ve developed our Be Food Smart App, taking some of the pressure off parents and helping them to choose healthier food and drink options for their children.”

Public Health England exists to protect and improve the nation’s health and wellbeing, and reduce health inequalities. It does this through world-class science, knowledge and intelligence, advocacy, partnerships and the delivery of specialist public health services. PHE is an operationally autonomous executive agency of the Department of Health.

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The Institute of Promotional Marketing (IPM) has welcomed plans from the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) to tighten up the rules surrounding the advertising and marketing of High Fat Salt Sugar (HFSS) foods, particularly to children, and is encouraging the promotional marketing industry to contribute to CAP’s public consultation on the issue.

The IPM, which is a stakeholder in CAP, points out that there is growing pressure on the marketing industry to make effective changes in the way it promotes to children and families.

The IPM’s Managing Director, Carey Trevill, comments: “The IPM welcomes the suggested amendments to the CAP Code, in particular the additional clarity provided in the proposed revisions around HFSS (High Fat Salt and Sugar) foods and young audiences.”

Trevill adds that “this is a sensitive but important issue, and the suggested changes to the Code represents a recognition that the advertising and marketing industries can be part of the solution when it comes to getting the message out and addressing the country’s concerns around childhood, and adult, obesity.”

In passing, Trevill also highlighted the fact that the proposals include changing references in the CAP Code to use the term ‘promotional marketing’ instead of the term ‘sales promotion’. Trevill says: “We also welcome the revision to the code in amending language from sales promotion to promotional marketing. This dynamic industry has long been conducting campaigns with activations well beyond sales promotion outputs, and it is wonderful for this variety of work to be recognised in the Code.”

CAP is the body which writes the CAP Code, the rules governing advertising and marketing in the UK under the UK’s self-regulatory system. CAP has just opened a public consultation on its proposals, which include:

• Introducing a new rule to the UK Code of Non-broadcast Advertising, Direct and Promotional Marketing (the CAP Code) to limit where advertising for food and soft drink products high in fat, salt or sugar (HFSS products) can be placed in all non-broadcast media, including traditional and online media;
• Banning HFSS product advertising in media targeted at, or of particular appeal to, children and whether that should apply to under 12s or under 16s;
• Appling the existing rules which prohibit the use of promotions and licensed characters and celebrities popular with children in food and drink advertising to advertising for HFSS products only, allowing more creative ways for healthier foods to be advertised to children.

The proposals to change the CAP Code follow on from research by ISBA (the Incorporated Society of British Advertisers, the body representing client companies into advertising and its effect on obesity, particularly in children. This found that available evidence shows that advertising has a modest effect on children’s food preferences, but other factors like parental influence, opportunities for physical exercise and education play greater roles in the causes of, and solutions to, childhood obesity.

The marketing industry has pledged to take the lead to prove that advertising and marketing are not the ‘villains’ in the issue. CAP argues that even a relatively small positive impact from new advertising restrictions could make a meaningful contribution to tackling this important health issue.

CAP’s public consultation closes at 5.00pm on July 22nd 2016. The full consultation document can be read here.

James Best, Chairman of CAP, says: “Too many children in the UK are growing up overweight or even obese, potentially damaging their health in later life and imposing a high cost on society. Advertising is just one small factor in a very complex equation but we believe we can play a positive part in addressing an urgent societal challenge. In proposing new rules, our aim is to strike the right balance between protecting children and enabling businesses to continue advertising their products responsibly.”

The IPM will be holding a webinar in the coming weeks to examine the changes and what these mean in practical terms for brands and agencies. A representative from CAP will be on hand during the webinar to answer your questions. Anyone interested in registering their interest for this webinar should visit the IPM website.

The IPM have further suggested that anyone wanting to understand more about the proposed changes and how they can comment, or to gain a better understanding of what the proposals may mean for their brands, can contact the IPM’s experts on contact@theipm.org.uk, or call 020 7291 7730.

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Following this morning’s Select Committee statement regarding urgent action to be taken to reduce national obesity rates, the IPM has been working closely with other industry bodies about the role of advertising self-regulation to consider changes.

As part of CAP, the IPM has been working behind the scenes with a number of industry bodies as well as consulting across the industry in response to the obesity challenge set out by Government. The IPM will be seeking responses from its membership as a result, which spans brand owners, agencies and service agencies involved in promotional activation across a broad range of sectors.

With brand owners and their associated agencies, there sits a natural responsibility to market to all types of consumer in a manner that upholds the CAP code. The Select Committee views price promotions as being part of the overall obesity issue; the IPM believes its members take a responsible approach already and all seek to actively uphold CAP and IPM standards in this regard. As such, the IPM has committed time and resource to a coalition task force to look at the challenges facing both industry and consumers and to find a workable, responsible solution for all parties.

The IPM’s Managing Director Carey Trevill comments, ‘At the IPM, the industry initiative on obesity and the wider impact on children’s health is critical and taken very seriously. As part of CAP, we are actively supporting the role of advertising and marketing to help bring about the changes needed’.

In addressing the self-regulation aspect that is championed by the advertising community, Trevill comments further, ‘It’s the very fact that we do self-regulate that enables us to consider quickly and carefully how changes could be made.’

CAP and its members, which include IPM, ISBA, AA, DMA, IPA amongst others, are undertaking a pre-consultation, campaigning key industry and public health organisations prior to public consultation.

The IPM will be consulting its Membership within the next week in direct relation to the obesity crisis.

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