Isabella Freijah, Federica Castellana, Maureen Alkema, Amina Bašić, Suzanne Babich
Abstract
Background: Global prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity (COO) have reached epidemic proportions, with Ireland experiencing a two-fold increase since the 1990s. This trend is attributed to a multifaceted and persistent obesogenic environment in which dietary patterns of children are significantly shaped by pervasive and aggressive marketing practices. There is an urgent need for heightened regulatory measures in Ireland to confront this, including the adoption of a new nutrient profiling model (NPM) to effectively inform nutrition-related policies and mitigate adverse impacts of harmful marketing practices on children’s eating habits and resulting health and well-being.
Evidence: The Ofcom model currently used to regulate the marketing of unhealthy food in Ireland has been criticized for applying relatively lenient criteria to determine which foods can be marketed to children. Evidence suggests that most food advertisements during children’s programming in Ireland continue to include unhealthy foods. Comprehensive reform is necessary to rectify the situation.
Policy Options: This policy brief examines four potential policy alternatives: maintaining the status quo or adopting one of three alternative nutrient profiling models (NPM): the 2023 WHO Regional Office for Europe NPM; the Canadian HCST tier system; and the Sustainable Nutrient-Rich Food Index from the Netherlands. Four evaluation criteria were applied to choose the best option: effectiveness, political feasibility, ease of implementation, and equity.
Recommendations: Assessment of options found that the 2023 WHO Regional Office for Europe NPM is best due to its advantages for effectiveness, political feasibility, and equity compared to the current Ofcom model. Despite greater potential implementation challenges, the WHO model represents a tool that could enhance Ireland’s regulatory approach to mitigating unhealthy food marketing targeting children.
Keywords: Childhood overweight and obesity; Nutrient profiling models; Marketing of unhealthy food
Conflict of interests: None declared
Financial disclosure: None declared
Ethics statement: Not applicable
Data availability: All relevant data are within the paper and its supplementary materials
Authors contributions: This policy brief was completed as part of the MSc Governance and Leadership in European Public Health at Maastricht University. Authors Alkema, Bašić, Castellana and Freijah were students within the program, with equal contributions. Author Babich supervised and advised on the project.