The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently issued new guidelines aimed at helping countries develop policies to safeguard children from the detrimental effects of food marketing that promotes unhealthy dietary choices. These guidelines build upon the WHO’s previous recommendations and emphasize the need for comprehensive measures to restrict the marketing of foods and beverages high in saturated fats, trans fats, sugars, and salt (HFSS) to children of all ages.
Guidelines to Restrict HFSS Food Marketing:
- Building on Previous Recommendations: The new guidelines are an extension of the WHO’s ‘Set of recommendations on the marketing of foods and non-alcoholic beverages to children’ released in 2010. They emphasize the implementation of comprehensive mandatory policies to minimize the marketing of HFSS foods to children.
- Comprehensive Policies and Nutrient Profiling: The guidelines call for countries to adopt policies that utilize a nutrient profile model. These policies should be comprehensive enough to restrict marketing in various channels and settings, while minimizing intra- and inter-medium migration. This approach helps avoid circumvention of marketing restrictions in regulated channels.
- Restricting HFSS Food Marketing: The policies formulated by countries should cover various marketing channels and forms, including television, radio, print media, online platforms, social media, and mobile devices. By imposing restrictions on advertisements of HFSS foods and non-alcoholic beverages, children can be better protected from the harmful effects of such marketing.
- Consideration of Country Context: The guidelines highlight the importance of formulating policies that are aligned with the best interests of children and tailored to the specific context of each country. Factors such as the country’s nutritional situation, cultural context, locally available foods, dietary customs, available resources and capacities, and existing governance structures should be considered when shaping policies.
- Protecting All Children: The new guidelines explicitly use the definition of a child from the Convention on the Rights of the Child to ensure that policies aim to protect all children. This inclusivity underscores the importance of addressing the marketing of HFSS foods and beverages to children across different age groups.
- Stakeholder Engagement and Transparency: The involvement of relevant stakeholders in the development and implementation of policies is crucial. This approach ensures transparency, accountability, and the avoidance of conflicts of interest. Collaborative efforts involving governments, public health organizations, civil society, and the food industry can lead to more effective and sustainable policies.
Promoting Evidence-Informed Guidance:
The WHO’s new guidelines provide evidence-informed guidance to protect children from the harmful effects of food marketing that promotes unhealthy dietary choices. By implementing these recommendations, countries can take significant steps towards improving children’s health and reducing the prevalence of diet-related diseases.