With a partner, read the following text and make sure you understand it, then complete the tasks on the next page.
DOES FOOD ADVERTISING HAVE AN EFFECT ON OBESITY?
There is a disease sweeping the world today that is killing far more people than any other, including AIDS or SARS. That disease is obesity. The World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that of the 56.5 million deaths per year around the world, over 50 per cent of these are caused by diseases associated with unhealthy diet and lack of exercise and that many of these deaths could be prevented. In the face of these shocking statistics, the WHO announced in 2004, a plan to fight obesity and invited governments around the world to join the campaign to encourage its citizens to adopt a sensible diet and to take up some form of physical activity. As part of their plan, .the WHO asked governments to consider the role of food advertising in encouraging people to eat unhealthy food.
One area of concern for many countries is the advertising of unhealthy food during children's television programmes. In Australia, which has the highest number of food advertisements in children' television in the world, there are an average of 12 food ads per hour. On the other hand, in Sweden and Austria where there are strict laws about advertising during children's programmes, there is only one food ad per hour.
There is much debate, however, about whether television advertisements are in any way responsible for childhood obesity. In Sweden, and Quebec in Canada, for example, there has been no great difference in the number of obese children since the government banned food ads in children's television. However, Holland, where there are no bans on food advertising, has one of the lowest rates of obesity in Europe. |