A year ago, Food Minister Özdemir presented his plan to ban advertising for unhealthy foods. This is how he wants to protect children. But the project is stuck in the traffic light dispute. What’s next?
Two million children and young people in Germany are overweight. Too many, says Federal Food Minister Cem Özdemir. As a countermeasure, he wants to limit the advertising of unhealthy foods. He presented a draft law a year ago.
Now Özdemir says: “You need patience in this work, I have that, and at the same time you need persistence.” The Green Party politician emphasizes that the federal government has once again committed itself to the fact that this law should exist. But opinions differ widely between the traffic light parties in the coalition about the content of the law.
Özdemir wants to completely ban advertising for products with too much sugar, fat and salt on television and online at certain times. Among other things, Monday to Friday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. – and therefore also in prime time with the most viewers and highest advertising revenue. There should also be a ban zone for poster advertising around daycare centers and schools.
Criticism of the FDP: “Not even capable of giving advice”
For FDP member of the Bundestag Gero Hocker, the proposals submitted so far are “anything but capable of approval, and for me they are not even capable of being discussed”. The FDP politician only wants to ban advertising if it is aimed directly at children, for example in the context of children’s programs.
The food association and the advertising industry are also resisting the proposals. They fear overregulation. And I doubt that advertising bans have a positive effect.
The FDP politician Hocker sees it similarly. As a rule, the reason for obesity among children and young people is not the advertising of sweets. The reason is rather an “unhealthy everyday life with too little exercise and too little information – perhaps also from parents about food and how to eat a balanced diet.” That’s why sport and exercise should be promoted instead of advertising bans.
Appeal against failure
Carola Reimann, however, believes that one should not be played off against the other. She is the CEO of the AOK Federal Association, under which the AOK health insurance companies come together. The SPD politician was previously Health Minister in Lower Saxony.
Individual responsibility is often overemphasized in discussions, says Reimann. “Behaviourists can demonstrate very clearly that environmental conditions are important and crucial.” An environment with a lot of advertising has an influence.
The AOK Federal Association is committed to advertising restrictions. Studies have shown that unhealthy foods are often advertised: “We also know that this advertising negatively influences the preferences of children and young people when it comes to purchasing behavior and consumer behavior. Children and young people see such advertising on average 16 times a day,” says Reimann. They have to be protected from that.
The AOK boss, together with consumer advocates and health experts, has therefore sent an appeal to the federal government and Chancellor Olaf Scholz not to let the advertising ban fail “due to resistance from the food and advertising industries”.
Özdemir remains optimistic
Food Minister Özdemir is confident. The federal government has now agreed on a few points: “So the green light, the bill will come, but the bill will be adjusted again, revised, taking into account the feedback we received.”
There will be more information about this soon, at least according to the minister’s announcement.
Eva Huber, ARD Berlin, tagesschau, March 5th, 2024 6:17 a.m