IPPN

Last Updated: Tuesday, 04 December 2012 11:57

New rules announced today [Friday] on food and drink advertising are a step forward in the battle against childhood obesity, according to the Irish Primary Principals’ Network (IPPN), the representative body for primary school leaders.

Seán Cottrell, IPPN Director, said the restrictions on the advertising of high fat, salt and sugar food and drink to children, announced by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI), would help to ‘curb the growing trend of childhood obesity and create a more responsible culture of children’s advertising’.

‘The new rules are an important step forward in the battle against childhood obesity which is a major health risk for our society,’ said Mr Cottrell. ‘The restrictions will also help to wean food and drink companies off any notion that children are a soft touch for marketers keen to push products to a vulnerable cohort of the population. These new rules are especially timely in the context of the upcoming referendum on children’s rights,’ he said. 

Mr Cottrell said the primary school curriculum tries to strike a balance between learning and physical wellbeing, and both are important in children’s development and the creation of tomorrow’s society and workforce.

‘It is critical that physical education in our schools is given due attention in the curriculum, and that Government policy supports the efforts of teachers and principals in fostering healthy living from an early age,’ he said.

According to recent studies, 327,000 children are estimated to be either obese or overweight.

‘That is over half of all primary school children in Ireland which is staggering,’ said Mr Cottrell. ‘According to the Growing Up In Ireland 2009 study, one in four nine-year-olds are overweight or obese so it is clear that we have a problem,’ he said.

Mr Cottrell welcomed the exemption of advertisements for cheese from the new rules, describing  the move as ‘sensible on the basis that cheese is healthy and nutritious for children.’

ENDS