Increase in food advert spending

The amount spent on press adverts for food and drink aimed at children has risen by 42%, Government research showed.

Advertising in the national press and women's magazines rose 42% in 2007 compared with 2003, from £4.7 million to £6.7 million.

The combined annual spend on food and drink advertising aimed at children for radio, cinema and internet increased by 11%, from £2.03 million in 2003 to £2.26 million in 2007.

However, overall annual spend for food and drink advertisements aimed at children fell 41%, from £103 million in 2003 to £61 million in 2007, the Department of Health report showed.

The sharpest year-on-year fall for advertising to children was in 2007, when spend dropped 19%.

TV advertising fell sharply in 2007, with a drop of 46% compared with 2003. In particular, there was less child-focused advertising for confectionery (down 62%), fast-food restaurants (down 71%), drinks (non-alcoholic, down 52%) and cereals (down 37%).

However, the advertising of dairy products to children rose 4%.

These figures were set against an overall rise of 19% on the amount spent on food and drink advertising across all media to all age groups.

The report, Changes In Food And Drink Advertising And Promotion To Children, was commissioned by the Department of Health to enable future advertising to be measured.

The regulator Ofcom announced new restrictions on advertising food and drink to children in February last year, which now cover all children under the age of 16.

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