UK bans daytime TV ads for cereals, muffins and burgers • Hacker News Board

Re: UK bans daytime TV ads for cereals, muffins and burgers

#111

Post by seabass-labrax » Sun, Dec 08, 2024, 10:26 PM UTC

beejiu wrote: post #67

Pet_Ant wrote: post #8

Well I didn't understand how -besides the cereals maybe- are unhealthy > Breakfast cereals including ready-to-eat cereals, granola, muesli, porridge oats and other oat-based cereals. until I re-read and saw this: > But the new restrictions will not apply to healthier options such as natural porridge oats and unsweetened yoghurt. So I think it's not clear in the first sentence but "ready-to-eat" is meant to apply to a…

There's a lot of misinformation going around about how the legislation works. All porridge oats are "in scope" of the regulation, which means they need to be scored using the "Nutrient Profile Model" score before being advertised. The result is that porridge oats are not banned, but golden syrup instant porridge oats will be. Here's the scoring model: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-nutrient-prof...

Do you think this is worth posting as a top-level comment? There's already lots of speculation in this thread (confusion even), and I appreciate you bringing an authoritative reference to the discussion.

Re: UK bans daytime TV ads for cereals, muffins and burgers

#112

Post by WD-42 » Sun, Dec 08, 2024, 10:27 PM UTC

ApolloFortyNine wrote: post #13

I could see supporting with this, but it does seem like an abuse of the 'for the children' argument for this. Children pretty much have to eat what you give them until they get a job. Also some chicken nuggets are bad, but some average a gram of protein per 10 calories, which is a pretty good ratio, and especially for frozen food. Can't help but think this is too broad.

> Children pretty much have to eat what you give them until they get a job.

If true why do cereal companies spend billions on advertising directly to children? For the fun of it?

Re: UK bans daytime TV ads for cereals, muffins and burgers

#113

Post by phyzix5761 » Sun, Dec 08, 2024, 10:29 PM UTC

Help me understand. The UK government basically said that parents are not responsible enough to make dietary decisions for their children so the government needs to step in and do it for them?

Does that not seem like an overreach? Its not like 4 year olds are driving to McDonald's by themselves and ordering burgers. The parents are the ones being targeted here.

Re: UK bans daytime TV ads for cereals, muffins and burgers

#114

Post by Argonaut998 » Sun, Dec 08, 2024, 10:31 PM UTC

phyzix5761 wrote: post #113

Help me understand. The UK government basically said that parents are not responsible enough to make dietary decisions for their children so the government needs to step in and do it for them? Does that not seem like an overreach? Its not like 4 year olds are driving to McDonald's by themselves and ordering burgers. The parents are the ones being targeted here.

The UK is so far gone with government overreach at this point. They don’t seem to mind.

Re: UK bans daytime TV ads for cereals, muffins and burgers

#115

Post by teruakohatu » Sun, Dec 08, 2024, 10:33 PM UTC

duiker101 wrote: post #70

manojlds wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's interesting that one of the tax free investment/savings choices in the UK is basically a lottery.

For those unaware, this comment is referring to premium bonds in the UK[1]. It is a very interesting system, I agree! But there are quite a few parts of the system that make it way more fair than a lottery. Most obviously, it doesn't cost to enter. So the most you can "lose" is a missed interest income from putting the money in another source. After that, it's definitely the fact that the algorithm is designed to bot…

In New Zealand this scheme was called "Bonus Bonds" and was wound up on 26 February 2024. Interest was charged on "wins" just like any other income. Apparently the average return was a paltry 1.5%.

Re: UK bans daytime TV ads for cereals, muffins and burgers

#116

Post by phyzix5761 » Sun, Dec 08, 2024, 10:33 PM UTC

WD-42 wrote: post #112

ApolloFortyNine wrote: post #13

I could see supporting with this, but it does seem like an abuse of the 'for the children' argument for this. Children pretty much have to eat what you give them until they get a job. Also some chicken nuggets are bad, but some average a gram of protein per 10 calories, which is a pretty good ratio, and especially for frozen food. Can't help but think this is too broad.

> Children pretty much have to eat what you give them until they get a job. If true why do cereal companies spend billions on advertising directly to children? For the fun of it?

I think its so children are open to eating it after the parents have bought it. If the food doesn't look appealing the parent will have to work harder but its the parents making the food choices not the child. Most of the time children don't even go to the grocery store with their parents.

Re: UK bans daytime TV ads for cereals, muffins and burgers

#117

Post by BowBun » Sun, Dec 08, 2024, 10:34 PM UTC

whycome wrote: post #108

akira2501 wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You're telling me this ad appeals to you in your demographic? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJmM2CSn2ao

Isn’t the issue there the claims of “fruit flavours” easily misinterpreted as having actual fruit and including vitamin c prominently when it’s just fortified.

You've moved the goalpost! No, the issue is that fruit flavors and cartoon characters are abused to appeal to children. That is what the original comment said and which you only half replied to! The video provided to you was an example of such - cartoons and 'fruit flavors' to hook kids on wanting sugary cereals for breakfast.

Re: UK bans daytime TV ads for cereals, muffins and burgers

#118

Post by fakedang » Sun, Dec 08, 2024, 10:34 PM UTC

ashconnor wrote: post #41

jsheard wrote: post #5

Can we do gambling ads next? We banned tobacco ads and then seemingly forgot the lesson that it's actually bad to let advertisers shove addictive and self-destructive products in the publics face, including to former addicts at risk of relapse.

Considering Labour's connection to gambling companies [0] probably not. [0] https://www.theguardian.com/society/article/2024/jun/28/tory...

Funny how you can buy British politicians for dirt cheap. In India or the US, it would take at least $100k-200k to get a single politician's attention at the bare minimum, while in the UK you can influence party positions for 25k quid.

Re: UK bans daytime TV ads for cereals, muffins and burgers

#119

Post by seabass-labrax » Sun, Dec 08, 2024, 10:34 PM UTC

blackeyeblitzar wrote: post #93

What about alcohol? Or other carb heavy or sugar heavy products? Why these?

As referenced by beejiu elsewhere on this thread[1], it applies to all foods products based on their nutritional content; there are no exemptions. Alcohol, however, does appear not to be covered by these new rules, but there are existing restrictions about advertising alcohol - [2] is one document on the topic, although I can't immediately tell if it's out of date.

[1]: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42360734

[2]: https://www.asa.org.uk/static/uploaded/d3683dc1-189e-413c-86...

Re: UK bans daytime TV ads for cereals, muffins and burgers

#120

Post by alecco » Sun, Dec 08, 2024, 10:35 PM UTC

amelius wrote: post #34

Can we have one or several months without ads of any kind? Perhaps then we can appreciate a world without ads more. It might also reduce the environmental burden of overconsumption.

IMHO the only way they'll pay attention if enough of us turn it all off.