Item - 2008.HL13.1
Tracking Status
- This item was considered by Board of Health on April 21, 2008 and was adopted with amendments.
HL13.1 - Chronic Disease Prevention Alliance of Canada Policy Consensus Conference - Obesity and the Impact of Marketing on Children
- Decision Type:
- ACTION
- Status:
- Amended
Board Decision
The Board of Health:
1. requested the Ontario Public Health Association (OPHA), in co-operation with the Association of Local Public Health Agencies (alpha), to convene a meeting in 2008 of the Medical Officers of Health and Boards of Health to co-ordinate advocacy for an Ontario ban on all commercial food and beverage advertising targeted toward children under the age of 13; and
2. received, for information, the report (April 7, 2008) from the Medical Officer of Health.
Origin
Summary
This report summarizes the national policy consensus conference held in Ottawa on March 4-5, 2008, entitled "Obesity and the Impact of Marketing on Children", organized by the Chronic Disease Prevention Alliance of Canada (CDPAC).
A panel of prominent Canadians heard evidence from an equal number of health experts and industry representatives on marketing and its influence on child health and obesity. Toronto's Medical Officer of Health, Dr. David McKeown, was an expert presenter, advocating the Board of Health's position of a national ban on the commercial advertising of food and beverages to children under thirteen years of age.
Based on the evidence heard, the panel drafted a policy consensus statement that calls on the Government of Canada to appoint a panel of public health experts within six months to define what constitutes unhealthy food and beverages. Once the definitions are established, the Government of Canada should create and enforce a regulatory regime that ends all marketing of unhealthy food and beverages to children within two years. If marketing of unhealthy food and beverages to children in Canada does not end within two years, there should be a ban on the marketing of all food and beverages to children at that time.
The CDPAC Steering Committee will meet in April to review the policy statement and decide whether to formally adopt it.
Background Information
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2008/hl/bgrd/backgroundfile-12026.pdf