Day 054 - 24 Nov 94 - Page 42

     
     1        extend this further to the omnipresence of other food
     2        products, for example, such as McDonald's and draw a
     3        similar conclusion that it heightens their salience.  What
     4        was of concern to -- it then goes on to say here is "that
     5        the relative absence of messages for alternative snacks,
     6        such as fruit, may further contribute to an environment in
     7        which various candies are not only more salient but often
     8        minimal differences between them become magnified, given
     9        all the attention they receive".
    10
    11        The studies I have carried out -- sorry, if I can just say,
    12        this was a study that was published in the United States.
    13        The studies, the monitoring studies, that I have been
    14        involved in reach similar conclusions about the high level
    15        of advertising for fatty and sugary foods and the low,
    16        sometimes non-existent level, of advertising for foods such
    17        as fruits and vegetables and other foods which we are being
    18        encouraged to eat more of to improve the nation's health.
    19
    20        My point is that television advertising does have a strong
         influence, and the nature and extent of foods that are
    22        advertised will influence the kinds of foods that children
    23        are tempted to opt for.  The kinds of foods that they
    24        choose, therefore, will influence their overall nutrition.
    25
    26   MR. MORRIS:  Just on that point about magnifying the differences
    27        between similar products ---
    28        A.  Yes.
    29
    30   Q.   -- do you want to draw any conclusions or expand on what
    31        you think or what you think about that?
    32        A.  Yes.  The relatively narrow range of products that a
    33        child is being presented with by television advertising,
    34        for example, the high level of advertising for
    35        confectionery, for cereals, particularly sweetened cereals,
    36        and we have also noted the high levels, the relatively high
    37        level of advertising for fast-foods, given the number of
    38        products that there are in that particular sector of the
    39        market, the differences between these products are seen to
    40        have -- sorry, I will start that again.  The choices that
         are presented are presented as choices between different
    42        products, but from a nutritional point of view, the choice
    43        is extremely limited.  From a nutritional point of view,
    44        the choice between, for example, one chocolate bar and
    45        another chocolate bar is not great from a nutritional point
    46        of view.  So, the kinds of choices that children are being
    47        presented with, as may be the choice between one sugary
    48        and/or fatty food and another, that choice is not offering
    49         -- the choice that, the salience that is given to those
    50        choices is not going to -- what I am trying to say is it 
    51        does not offer the kinds of choices in order to help make 
    52        up a balanced diet that a child would need in order to do 
    53        so.
    54
    55   MR. MORRIS:  But does this have an effect on a child's mind when
    56        a child wants something to eat, and does it have an effect
    57        on -----
    58
    59   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  I think she has expressed her point of
    60        view.  I can see your point between one chocolate bar and