According to an article in today’s Daily Mail, commercials promoting cheese will now be banned on tv programs with a large proportion of young viewers. According to the article,
The rules, which come into force this month, are part of a Government drive to reduce children’s exposure to foods high in fat, salt and sugar.
Much to the disgust of its makers, cheese is to be regarded in the same light as crisps, sugary cereals and cheeseburgers.
In fact, under the criteria used by the Food Standards Agency to determine junk foods, such products are actually regarded as healthier than cheese.
The ban follows evidence that TV commercials have an indirect influence on what children eat and are contributing to obesity in the young.
Look, I don’t think a government should be able to tell a business when it can and cannot advertise period. But I understand how some might argue that junk foods should perhaps not be promoted on children’s programming (again, I’m not saying that I believe the government should place any sort of bans on advertising–I’m just saying that I can understand how one might argue that such bans could have merit). But cheese? I know its not something that you should eat all the time, but its also full of calcium, and natural cheese is certainly a healthier snack choice for children than packaged, processed junk. Unfortunately, I think its only a matter of time until the nanny state gets this big of a hold over the US too.