South Korea does what the US refuses to do: Restrict junk food advertising to children

(NaturalNews) The health ministry of South Korea has announced that advertisements for foods that are high in fat, sugar, and salt, will be limited during the prime time television hours of 5 and 7 p.m. and during any children's programming. In support of national efforts to curb childhood obesity, the limitations will include foods such as hamburgers, instant noodles, and pizza as well as dess... erts like chocolate, candy, and ice cream.

Many South Korean child advocacy groups have been calling for limitations on junk food advertising for years, citing the statistic that 20 percent of children in the country are overweight. Last year, the health ministry banned junk food sales at schools and their surrounding neighborhoods.

A stricter version of the advertising ban was proposed back in 2008 that would have stopped junk food advertising for four hours instead of two but television broadcasters and their advertisers strongly opposed the strict regulations. The South Korean government eventually arrived at a compromised version which is said to take effect within the next several weeks.

Following its implementation, government officials plan to evaluate the success of the program to see if an observable reduction in obesity takes place. It will use the results in formulating future obesity-related regulations.

Officials expressed that the goal of the ban is to encourage food manufacturers to improve the nutritional quality of their products. Rather than simply enact burdensome restrictions, the health ministry is hoping that when all is said and done, consumers will have healthier options available to them as well as be more informed about what they are purchasing.

According to a World Health Organization (WHO) report, the two most effective ways to limit children's consumption of unhealthy foods is to restrict their advertising and remove them from schools.

Many advocacy groups in the United States have expressed similar sentiments, urging the U.S. government to enact similar legislation to restrict junk food advertising. Since obesity rates are spiraling out of control domestically, they believe that restrictions will help to improve childhood health.

Unfortunately, many of the primary causes of the nation's abundance of cheap junk food and the inevitable obesity epidemic it causes have to do with things like crop subsidies, regulatory agency mismanagement, genetic modification, and lack of transparency in food labeling. A limit on advertising may help to curb the amount of junk food children eat but it will not remove it from grocery store shelves.

Sources for this story include:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/expat/expatnews/7025149/South-Korea-restricts-TV-ads-for-junk.html

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/304611,south-korea-bans-junk-food-commercials.html
Source: http://www.naturalnews.com/028338_junk_food_advertising.html

  • Baby Dancing to Beyonce

    The cutest dancing baby ever! 

  • Children are not Sleeping, so They're Pumped Full of Drugs

    A new survey of child psychiatrists indicates that insomnia is a major problem among children in mental health treatment.  What’s more, at least a quarter of these patients are given sleep medication.

    To address the issue of insomnia, an overwhelming 96 percent of the clinicians recommended at least one prescription medication in a typical month and 88 percent recommended an over-the-cou... Read more... Link  

  • Enzyme that Reverses Sun Damage Discovered

    Humans lack a key enzyme found in many animals and plants that reverses severe sun damage.  For the first time, researchers have witnessed how this enzyme works at the atomic level to repair sun-damaged DNA.

    Scientists were able to observe the enzyme, called photolyase, inject a single electron and proton into an injured strand of DNA. These subatomic particles healed the damage in a fract... Read more... Link  

  • Warning: Many Cash Register Receipts are Toxic

    A new analysis by the Environmental Working Group suggests Americans are being exposed to bisphenol-A through a surprising route: paper receipts.

    EWG found bisphenol-A on 40 percent of the receipts it collected from supermarkets, automated teller machines, gas stations and chain stores. In some cases, the total amount of BPA on the receipt was 1,000 times the amount found in the epoxy lining o... Read more... Link  

  • Can a Mother's Affection Prevent Anxiety in Adulthood?

    Babies whose mothers are attentive and caring tend to grow up happy and well-adjusted children -- and the psychological benefits may extend well beyond childhood.

    A new study followed nearly 500 infants into their 30’s.  It found that babies who receive above-average levels of affection and attention from their mothers are less likely to grow up to be emotionally distressed, anxious, or ... Read more... Link  

  • Caution: Sports Stadium Food May be Loaded with Salmonella and Rat Poop

    ESPN's "Outside the Lines" reviewed health department inspection reports at all 107 North American arenas and stadiums that are home to Major League Baseball, National Football League, National Hockey League and National Basketball Association.

    At 30 of the venues, more than half of the concession stands or restaurants had been cited for at least one "critical" or "major" health violation. Thes... Read more... Link  

  • How Cranberry Juice Conquers E. Coli

    If you’ve ever had a urinary tract infection, you’ve probably heard of the home remedy of drinking cranberry juice.  Scientists are still not exactly sure how the fruit juice functions as a natural antibiotic, but a new study has provided a bit more insight.

    The bacteria responsible for more than 95 percent of urinary tract infections are a pathogenic strain of E. coli.  The... Read more... Link  

  • Vitamin D is essential for activating immune system function

    (NaturalNews) Researchers have discovered that vitamin D plays a crucial role in activating the immune system's ability to recognize and fight pathogens.

    While scientists have long known that vitamin D plays a critical role in bone health, recent research has begun to suggest that it also serves to regulate the immune system, helping prevent infection, cancer and autoimmune disorders. Until now,... Read more... Link  

  • Moms can reduce risk of eczema in their babies by taking probiotics

    (NaturalNews) About 20 percent of babies and toddlers have the condition known as eczema which causes red, swollen and intensely itchy skin. It usually develops on the forehead, cheeks, and scalp, but it can spread to the arms, legs, chest and other parts of the body. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), 65 percent of eczema cases develop in the first year of life and 90 percen... Read more... Link  

  • Pharmaceutical drug contamination of waterways threatens life on our planet

    (NaturalNews) The President's Cancer Panel (PCP) recently released its yearly report to the President outlining the status of cancer in America. This year's report focuses primarily on environmental factors that contribute to cancer risk. According to the report, pharmaceutical drugs are a serious environmental pollutant, particularly in the way they continue to contaminate waterways across the... Read more... Link  

  • Laughter is Funnier When You're Seeing Double

    These twins are four months old.  That’s Peyton on the left, and Brennan on the right. 

  • RED ALERT on Cosmetic Products: Will They Cause a Health Disaster Like Asbestos Did?

    The Story of Cosmetics looks at the pervasive use of toxic chemicals in everyday personal care products. This seven-minute film reveals the implications for consumer health, and outlines ways the industry can move away from hazardous chemicals and towards safer alternatives.

     

  • Can This Amino Acid Stave Off Cardiovascular Disease?

    A recent study looked at the effects of long-term L-arginine supplementation on the health of patients with multiple cardiovascular risk factors. Ninety patients were randomly assigned to two groups -- one that received daily oral L-arginine, and one that received placebo capsules.

    Patients were evaluated for a number of health factors, including lipid profile, glucose, insulin, and arterial e... Read more... Link  

  • Diet Soda Tied to Risk of Premature Birth

    New research indicates that drinking artificially sweetened beverages may be linked with an increased risk of premature births.

    Women who had at least one serving of artificially sweetened soda a day while pregnant were 38 percent more likely to deliver preterm.  Women who had at least four diet sodas a day were nearly 80 percent more likely to deliver preterm.  All soft drinks, inclu... Read more... Link  

  • The Ayurvedic Super-Herb You Probably Don’t Know About

    For nearly six thousand years, Ayurvedic medicine has utilized the benefits of amla, a round bitter fruit also known as the Indian gooseberry.  Some research shows that it could be used to fight high cholesterol, osteoporosis, and cancer.

    At least in the laboratory, fibers in amla help reverse the effects of excessive consumption of fructose, which could help to stave off high cholesterol ... Read more... Link