Campaign attacked over junk backers
Joe Lepper
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Child health campaigners have criticised the government for involving junk food firms in a campaign to tackle obesity.
The Change4Life social marketing campaign gets under way next month and seeks to target families living in areas with high obesity rates with marketing and advice on healthy eating. This includes Change4Life-branded information on supermarket shelves as well as promotional activities targeting children.
Already the commercial sector, including food and drink manufacturers such as Coca-Cola, Mars and Nestle, have pledged £200m worth of funding for healthy eating initiatives over the next four years to add to £75m from government.
National Obesity Forum board member Tam Fry said: "It is the £200m from the commercial sector that worries me. This gives food companies too much say over how campaigning such as Change4Life should be run.
Richard Watts, co-ordinator of food group Sustain's Children's Food Campaign, said: "All sorts of inappropriate firms are trying to align themselves with this campaign. Should a firm that produces confectionary really be involved in a campaign to tackle obesity? These companies stand to benefit from this financially through things like placing Change4Life logos on their packets."
One of the first activities in the Change4Life campaign is a joint promotional drive between the government and the Association of Convenience Stores involving food retailers in the north east of England, an area with high obesity rates. Shops involved have pledged to stock more fruit and vegetables and will display Change4Life promotional material encouraging healthy eating.
The Association of Convenience Stores' public affairs director Shane Brennan defended the involvement of the commercial sector: "The sector is necessary for a campaign like this to ensure it is properly targeted and reaches people. The non-governmental organisation sector would like to pretend we are not here but we are and are very much part of this. We are keen to play our part in encouraging healthy living."
A Department of Health spokesman said: "It's not about saying which companies are good and which are bad. As long as they can prove they will contribute to the health of the nation, promote change and sign up to the terms of agreement, they can join."