Nursery World - Ban on junk food ads gathers backers

Child health campaigners are calling on the Government to ban junk food advertising targeted at children in order to curb the rise in childhood obesity and illnesses and behavioural disorders linked to junk food. The Child Poverty Action Group, the National Union of Teachers and Sustain: The Alliance for Better Food and Farming were among 150 organisations urging MPs to back the Children's Food Bill, which had its second reading in the House of Commons last week.

The Child Poverty Action Group, the National Union of Teachers and Sustain: The Alliance for Better Food and Farming were among 150 organisations urging MPs to back the Children's Food Bill, which had its second reading in the House of Commons last week.

The private member's Bill, proposed by Mary Creagh, Labour MP for Wakefield, sets out measures to protect children from the marketing of unhealthy food and drink, introduce mandatory nutrient and quality standards for school meals and make food education compulsory in the national curriculum.

The Bill also calls for a ban on the use of cartoon characters on unhealthy products, the internet and mobile phones. According to Sustain, more than 700m was spent last year on advertising aimed at two- to ten-year-olds.

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