Round table for healthy nutrition

Nutrition The EU is calling on the advertising industry to take action against obesity. The advertising industry should work together with the food industry, consumer associations and health organizations to combat increasing obesity. This is the aim of the EU Commission, which launched the Platform for Action on Diet, Physical Activity and Health on Tuesday. Around ten organizations have joined the platform. They are to draw up proposals by the summer on how they can contribute to the fight against obesity. The focus is on consumer information, education, the promotion of physical activity, product composition, marketing and advertising, and the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) is also a member of the action platform. It aims to promote responsible advertising and compliance with best practice rules of conduct. They are aware that this complex problem can only be solved together.
The Swiss industry is involved in the platform via the WFA, as the Swiss Advertisers Association (SWA) is also a member. Director Jürg Siegrist told Werbewoche that together with Swiss Advertising (SW) and the BSW, they are closely following developments in Brussels. In Switzerland, there is only an internal working paper from the Federal Office of Public Health. For Siegrist, it is clear that free communication must also be permitted for freely available products. "Obesity is a problem, but it must not lead to advertising bans," says BSW Managing Director Walter Merz.
No new ban, but a stricter interpretation of existing restrictions is what CVP National Councillor Ruth Humbel Näf is calling for. She has submitted a postulate calling on the Federal Council to examine measures in the fight against obesity together with the industry. For example, milk bars should no longer be allowed to be advertised as "healthy" if their sugar and fat content is too high.
Stefano Monachesi