第2821期:Not in front of the children

Since TV advertising began, there has always been food adverts aimed at children. Yes, sweets, chocolate, ice cream. But that may be about to change.自从电视广告诞生以来，就一直有针对儿童的食品广告。是的，糖果、巧克力、冰淇淋——但这种情况可能即将改变。

We're looking at the UK's radical plans for advertising of junk food for children.我们今天要看看英国针对儿童垃圾食品广告的一项激进计划。

There's growing concern, isn't there, Richard, that children's health is being negatively affected by how food products are marketed to children.人们越来越担心，不是吗，理查德？孩子们的健康正受到食品广告营销方式的不良影响。

Yes, in the UK, the government have estimated that children under the age of 16 are exposed to billions of food adverts online every year.是的，据英国政府估计，16岁以下的儿童每年在网上接触到数十亿条食品广告。

But now the government's decided to do something about it. They plan to ban all junk food adverts on TV before nine o'clock in the evening and a total ban online.但现在，政府决定采取行动。他们计划在晚上九点前禁止所有垃圾食品电视广告，并在网络上全面禁止此类广告。

The total ban online. This is not just for children, is it?网络上的全面禁令。这不仅仅是针对儿童的，对吧？

No, because online advertisers aren't able to effectively identify which users are children and which are adults.没错，因为网络广告商无法有效区分哪些用户是儿童、哪些是成年人。

So restricting all advertising is the best way to ensure that children aren't exposed to and harmed by highly influential but unhealthy food adverts.因此，全面限制广告是确保儿童不受这些具有强大影响力但不健康的食品广告伤害的最佳方法。

Now, they say that if implemented, the ban would affect ads on Facebook, Google, social media activity.他们表示，如果该禁令实施，将影响Facebook、Google等平台上的广告，以及社交媒体活动。

I mean, we're talking Twitter and Instagram. How on earth are they going to do that?也就是说，还包括Twitter和Instagram。他们到底打算怎么做到这一点？

I have absolutely no idea. What are they talking about?我完全不知道。他们到底在说什么？

They're talking about products like burgers, meat pizzas, ice cream, chocolate, crisps.他们指的是像汉堡、肉类披萨、冰淇淋、巧克力、薯片等产品。

All of these products won't be able to be advertised online.所有这些产品都将不能在网上投放广告。

It may not come as a great surprise to you, but the number one advertising company in the UK is McDonald's and they spend over £85 million on advertising every year.这可能并不让人惊讶，但英国最大的广告主是麦当劳，他们每年在广告上花费超过8500万英镑。

So why are they doing it, Richard? What's this big thing now?那么，他们为什么要这样做呢，理查德？这次的大动作是为了什么？

Well, let's face facts. Britain is the second fattest European nation and obesity is thought to be a factor that could have worsened the country's death toll during the pandemic.说实话，英国是欧洲第二肥胖的国家，而肥胖被认为是导致新冠疫情中死亡人数更高的一个因素。

Yeah. Research has shown that one in three children leaving primary school are overweight or obese.是的，研究表明，每三名小学毕业的孩子中，就有一人超重或肥胖。

That's a third of 11-year-olds. That's terrible, isn't it?也就是说，三分之一的11岁儿童。真是可怕，不是吗？

And obese children, I think they're five times more likely to remain obese into adulthood.而肥胖儿童成年后继续肥胖的可能性高达五倍。

Yeah. Now, we mentioned how much McDonald's spends on their advertising, right?是的。我们刚提到麦当劳在广告上的花费，对吧？

Now, compare that to the government's healthy eating campaign. What's the budget for that? £5.2 million.现在，把它和政府的健康饮食宣传活动预算相比——只有520万英镑。

And then on top of that, the NHS spends an estimated £38 million a year on weight loss surgery.此外，英国国家医疗服务体系（NHS）每年还花费约3800万英镑用于减肥手术。

Yes, but wait for it. It's a further £5.1 billion a year on treating obesity-related conditions such as diabetes, which is really increasing.是的，但更惊人的是——每年还要额外花费约51亿英镑来治疗与肥胖相关的疾病，比如糖尿病，而且这些病例正在不断增加。

I think the interesting thing though, Richard, is why has Boris Johnson really taken these companies to task now?不过有趣的是，理查德，鲍里斯·约翰逊为什么现在才决定对这些公司出手？

Well, in 2020, a number of UK ministers got Covid but only the Prime Minister. He was the only one who was seriously ill and needed to go into intensive care.2020年，英国有几位部长感染了新冠病毒，但只有首相本人病得很重，还被送进了重症监护室。

He admitted himself he was too fat and he thought his weight was a factor in why he became so ill.他后来亲口承认，自己太胖了，并认为体重是导致病情严重的一个重要原因。

So there we go, Richard. No more chocolate adverts on the telly.所以就是这样，理查德——电视上再也不会有巧克力广告了。