Residents seek curbs on ads promoting fast food

Four in five people in the region, including UAE, think children should be exposed to less fast food advertising on TV as it impacts children's current food choices and will impact them in future as well, according to a recent survey.
A whopping majority (87 per cent) said that TV advertising impacts children's current food choices, and also believe that if children are exposed to fast food ads at a young age, it will affect their food choices in the future, results from a survey done by Omnibus YouGov in September showed.
Around three quarters of respondents indicated being concerned about children's exposure to fast food TV advertising, with close to a quarter (23 per cent) indicating their child asks for fast food after watching these ads. 
According to the survey, two out of five people claim that they are making unhealthy food choices after watching an ad on TV.
Four in five people also think that there should be laws regulating fast food advertising in the hours when children are most likely to watch TV.
Of the total 2,743 who were surveyed - close to half of GCC respondents (45 per cent) mentioned being exposed to fast food advertisements every day.
Government measures
Dr Fadila Mohamed Sherif, director of the health education and promotion department at the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHaP) said: "We are working with Emirates Standardisation and Metrology Authority (Esma) to develop specifications to reduce the sugar content in drinks since it impacts children."
The move to ban marketing of fast food to children is part of a roadmap for prevention of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
The UAE has already implemented VAT on tobacco and soft drinks and a strategy to combat prevalence of obesity especially among children. Dr Fadila, however, ruled out any taxation on fast foods. "We can tax salt, sugar or transfats but not the food itself.how do you define fast food?," she asked.
UAE Vs GCC
Although most people in the region are aware of the ill effects from eating fast food, the consumption remains high. Four in five people think eating fast food leads to weight gain. Over 40 per cent of respondents associated it with more serious issues like high blood pressure (44 per cent), type 2 diabetes (42 per cent) and heart problems (45 per cent).
Kerry McLaren, head of YouGov Omnibus, MENA, said: "People show general concern in lack of controls around its advertising, but there is no direct resistance in the overall consumption of fast food."
asmaalizain@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai