Watchdog Report > EU warns food industry on junk food advertising. > EU Threatens Legislation to Curb Obesity "(Obesity is) a European problem now," said Markos Kyprianou, EU health and consumer affairs commissioner EU Takes Aim at Junk Food Adverts A senior EU official said in January that urgent action was needed to tackle obesity among Europe's young and warned the food industry it faced legislation in a year unless it stopped advertising junk food to children. IH&RA is monitoring this issue closely to ensure that restaurants do not become a scapegoat for a rise in obesity among European children. Stay on alert! First published: 20 January 2005 06:44 Reuters News English (c) 2005 Reuters Limited Health and Consumer Affairs Commissioner Markos Kyprianou said Europe used to consider obesity to be a U.S. problem. "We made fun of the Americans in a way. It is a European problem now," Kyprianou told the Financial Times in an interview. "I would like to see the industry not advertising directly to children any more," he said. "The signs from the industry are very encouraging, very positive. But if this doesn't produce satisfactory results, we will proceed to legislation." Kyprianou said self-regulation was the fastest and most effective way to achieve the goal, but if action was not forthcoming then European Union legislation would follow. He is to announce in March a new arrangement with the food industry to agree self-regulatory targets, which he hopes will be in place by the end of this year or early in 2006. Kyprianou said food manufacturers should use clearer labelling to make it "more easily understood by a consumer who doesn't have a PhD in chemistry". The CIAA, the food industry's umbrella group in Europe, says it is already working with the European Commission to develop proposals for tougher advertising guidelines and improved labelling. "There is a need for improvement, but there is no magical solution for doing this in practical terms," the CIAA was quoted as saying by the Financial Times. Last week, Kraft Foods in the United States said it would stop advertising products like Oreo cookies and Kool-Aid beverages to children younger than 12. IH&RA Monitoring The "Obesity" Issue: Background The World Health Organization (WHO) published a report in 2003 on Diet, Nutrition and the Prevention of Chronic Diseases citing unhealthy diet and physical inactivity as the main causes of chronic diseases. This has led to a debate on the causes of obesity, in particular the consumption of certain types of food. IH&RA is working to ensure WHO is fully aware of the efforts made by the hospitality industry to meet its clients' needs and fully understands the limits to hospitality operators' responsibility towards their clients. IH&RA is also working to make WHO fully aware of the difference between the food retail industry and the food service industry, specifically in relation to food labelling. Recent Developments in the Private Sector - A number of major private sector players in the food service industry have already PROACTIVELY taken steps to meet the growing public concern over obesity by introducing into their menus new items containing less fat, salt and sugar which offer consumers alternative food choices meeting their health concerns. IH&RA is closely monitoring of this issue. Working in cooperation with some of its key members on the food service side, IH&RA has drafted an official position on Healthy Lifestyles which is to be published shortly. Copyright 2003 International Hotel & Restaurant Association. All rights reserved. International Hotel & Restaurant Association 51 rue Jean Jacques Rousseau 75001 Paris France Tel: 33 (0) 1 44 88 92 20 Fax: 33 (0) 1 44 88 92 30 www.ih-ra.com