New WHO/Europe report calls for urgent action to protect children from digital marketing of food
World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe, November 4, 2016
For the first time, researchers and health experts have undertaken a comprehensive analysis of the concerning situation in the WHO European Region of digital marketing to children of foods high in fats, salt and sugars. The findings are published in a new report from the WHO Regional Office for Europe, Tackling food marketing to children in a digital world: trans-disciplinary perspectives, which calls for immediate action by policy-makers to recognize and address the growing issue of marketing targeted to children via digital media.
In the absence of effective regulation of digital media in many countries, children are increasingly exposed to persuasive, individually tailored marketing techniques through, for example, social media sites and “advergames”. This trend persists, although stubbornly high rates of childhood obesity are found almost throughout the WHO European Region.