Issue details
Tower Hamlets Healthier Advertising Policy
PDF 230 KBTower Hamlets has very high levels of child
excess weight. Evidence shows that advertisements for unhealthy
food and drink products directly and indirectly impact what we eat.
Young people who recall seeing junk food adverts every day are more
likely to be obese.
The paper considers how we can protect children and young people
from the advertising of unhealthy food and drinks (foods and drinks
that are high in fat, salt and sugar), in order to contribute
towards our priority to promote children’s healthy weight and
healthy life expectancy. This is part of a wider programme of work
to support child healthy weight in the borough.
Decision type: Key
Reason Key: Significant impact on communities living or working in two or more wards;
Decision status: Recommendations Approved
Wards affected: (All Wards);
Notice of proposed decision first published: 28/03/2023
Decision due: 24 May 23 by Cabinet
Lead member: Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Social Care
Lead director: Corporate Director, Health, Adults and Community
Department: Health, Adults and Community
Contact: Dr Somen Banerjee, (Director of Public Health) Email: somen.banerjee@towerhamlets.gov.uk.
Consultation process
Consultation with a broad audience has been
undertaken using a mixed methods approach, with a combination of
both quantitative and qualitative methods.
A meeting with the Youth Board will take place in March 2023,
followed by a short survey to invite their views.
Parents/Carers have been engaged with through primary school
visits, speaking at Healthy Families Programme sessions, and
through attendance and presentation at the Festival of Family
Health on 15th March.
Meetings and presentations are being arranged with the following
equalities groups: BAME network, Older people and Women’s
network.
A meeting with Dr Sam Everington, Bromley by Bow centre, took place
on the 4th November 2022.
We have shared a short survey with local businesses to invite their
views on the policy.
We have liaised with council staff in Greenwich, Southwark, Merton
and Haringey, who have overseen the policy development and
implementation in their councils.
We have liaised with Dr Penny Breeze, one of the researchers at the
University of Sheffield, who, alongside researchers at the London
School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, developed an advanced
mathematical method to estimate the health and economic benefits
that restricting junk food advertising on the Transport for London
network had in 2019.
A public consultation by the Greater London Authority, launched in
May 2018, found 82% of Londoners support a junk food advertising
restriction.
As part of the Transport for London advertising policy process,
large multinational companies including JCD Decaux were extensively
consulted with, to ensure they were aware of the policy and what it
would mean for their advertising. Since then, these companies have
utilised the nutrient profiling model and have switched out their
unhealthy products for healthier ones and have continued to
advertise.
Consultees
Internal:
Directorates:
•Children’s Services
•Place
•Resources (Financial)
•Governance (Legal, Communications
BAME; Older People: and Women’s networks
Has an Equality Analysis been carried out and if so the result of this Assessment?: NA
Decisions
- 29/05/2023 - Tower Hamlets Healthier Advertising Policy
Agenda items
- 24/05/2023 - Cabinet Tower Hamlets Healthier Advertising Policy 24/05/2023
Documents
- Tower Hamlets Healthier Advertising Policy