56% of Indian parents surveyed link ads to kids' craving for junk food
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New Delhi: More than fifty percent Indian parents told a survey that kids crave for foods they see in advertisements.
In the survey carried out by LocalCircles, a community social media platform, a 56 per cent linked the adverts of packaged food to children's junk food consumption, according to a report in India Today.
A whopping number of parents said "yes" to the question if their kids happened not to see food advertisements make them eat fewer unhealthy package foods.
When asked whether government should introduce rules to restrict packaged food companies from targeting kids under-16, as many as 81 per cent of parents were in favour of it.
Considering their response to other allied questions, a total of 92 percent of parents polled were in favour of harnessing packaged foods.
The survey opined that the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI)'s self-regulatory guidelines for food and beverages framed in 2013 were not specific about using child model to attract young viewers.
The guidelines according to the report addresses only the issue of "misleading or deceptive" advertising.
The guidelines issued by the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) on June 9 this year wanted advertising for foods not to "condone, encourage, inspire or unreasonably emulate behaviour" dangerous to kids.
It also added that adverts should not instil unrealistic expectations in children regarding foods, products and services.
"It adds that an advertisement for junk food should not be advertised during a programme meant for children or on a channel meant exclusively for children," the report said.