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UAE residents seek curbs on ads promoting fast food

Dubai - Kuwait (67%) currently charts at highest incidence of obesity in the Middle East.

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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).
 
Previously, less than a fifth of GCC respondents consumed fast food at least once a week. This number is highest in Kuwait (67 per cent), a country that currently charts at highest incidence of obesity in the Middle East.
 
Half of the GCC respondents indicated they are concerned about fast food advertising on television but there are vast differences between neighbouring countries.
 
In the UAE, more than 60 per cent of the respondents are concerned while in Kuwait and Oman over 60 per cent are indifferent/not concerned at all.
 
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.
 
On the effectiveness of control on TV food and drink advertising, 63 per cent of UAE feel the measures are effective. Besides, seven in 10 respondents voiced their concern against toys being used to promote food and drinks.
 
Kerry McLaren, head of YouGov Omnibus, MENA, said: "YouGov data shows that although people are aware of the adverse effects of eating fast food and show general concern in lack of controls around its advertising, there is no direct resistance in overall consumption of fast food."
 
asmaalizain@khaleejtimes.com