Norway Takes Action to Protect Children's Health
The government's decision was made in response to growing concerns about the impact of unhealthy eating on children's health. In Norway, one in three children has overweight or obesity, and the country has one of the highest rates of childhood type 2 diabetes in Europe [3].
The ban on unhealthy food advertising will cover all forms of marketing, including television, print, online, and in schools. Products affected by the ban include sugary drinks, salty snacks, and fast food.
History of Unhealthy Food Advertising Regulations in Norway
The industry's self-regulatory guidelines were first developed in 2007. The guidelines restrict the marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages to children under the age of 16 [2]. For example, the guidelines advise against the use of cartoons or celebrities in advertising and limit the amount of advertising that can be shown during children's programming on TV.
In 2012, the Norwegian Ministry of Health and Care Services proposed tightening voluntary regulations [1]. The proposal aimed to ban the marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages to children under the age of 18.
However, the food and beverage industry objected to the proposal, arguing that it would effectively ban their sales to young people. As a compromise, the government agreed to continue allowing the industry to carry a self-regulatory scheme.
Self-regulatory framework has failed. According to a report from the United Nations Regional Information Centre for Western Europe (2021), "80% of food and drink adverts in Norway promote unhealthy nutrition" [3].
The majority of food and beverage products advertised to children in Norway are reported to be high in fat, salt, and sugar, with 9% of the promoted products appearing to be unacceptable under the guidelines currently in effect in Norway [3]. This suggests that the self-regulatory framework is not strong enough to effectively protect children from exposure to unhealthy food advertising.
New Law to Ban Unhealthy Food Advertising to Children in Norway
A majority in Norway's parliament has agreed to new regulations that will restrict all advertisements of unhealthy foods to children under the age of 18. The law, expected to come into effect at the beginning of 2024, will ban the marketing of unhealthy food and drinks in all media that children are likely to see, including television, radio, the internet, and social media [4].
The law was supported by four parties in parliament: the Labour Party, the Center Party, the Socialist Left Party, and the Red Party. Together, these four parties control a majority of seats in parliament.
The regulation will ban the advertising of unhealthy foods that are high in fat, salt, or sugar. It will also ban the advertising of foods that are marketed as being "healthy" or "natural," if they are high in unhealthy ingredients.
The law is a significant step forward in Norway's fight against childhood obesity and can serve as a model for other countries looking to protect the health of their children.
References
[1] Library of Congress (2013) Norway: Tightening of Restrictions on Unhealthy Food Ads Aimed at Youth. https://www.loc.gov/item/global-legal-monitor/2013-08-29/norway-tightening-of-restrictions-on-unhealthy-food-ads-aimed-at-youth/
[2] Ministry of Health and Welfare (2013) Regulation of the marketing of unhealthy food and drink aimed at children and young people https://www.regjeringen.no/no/dokumentarkiv/stoltenberg-ii/hod/brev/2013/regulering-av-markedsforing-av-usunn-mat/id729187/
[3] United Nations Regional Information Centre for Western Europe (2021) "80% of food and drink adverts in Norway promote unhealthy nutrition" https://unric.org/en/80-of-food-and-drink-adverts-in-norway-promote-unhealthy-nutrition/
[4] The Local (2023) Norway's parliament agrees on health measures aimed at children. Retrieved from https://www.thelocal.no/20230524/norways-parliament-agrees-on-health-measures-aimed-at-children