Advert urging parents to stop their children snacking sparks angry backlash

September 9, 2016

Food Standards Scotland launched the campaign on Monday
Advert shows mother giving her daughter a chocolate but warning that being overweight means she will be ‘more likely to get diabetes’
Quango faces angry backlash from type 1 diabetes sufferers and families
Advertising Standards Authority is now investigating following complaints

Kate Pickles For Mailonline

Published:
09:34 EST, 9 September 2016

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Updated:
10:19 EST, 9 September 2016

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A campaign to urge parents to cut back on their children’s snacking has sparked a furious backlash.

The advertising watchdog has launched an investigation into Food Standards Scotland after it was accused of airing an ‘appalling’ and ‘terribly informed’ advert to combat diabetes.

On Monday Food Standards Scotland (FSS) launched a new campaign on STV – Scotland’s ITV – and Channel Four.

One of the adverts features a girl being fed chocolate by her mother and telling viewers that when she is older being overweight means she will be ‘more likely to get diabetes’.

The Food Standards Scotland launched a new campaign urging parents to cut back on their kids’ unhealthy snacking. It has faced an angry backlash for suggesting sweets cause diabetes

But the quango has suffered a huge backlash from type one diabetics and their parents – saying it shames those with the condition, which is completely unrelated to diet.

Now the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) are investigating the FSS, who have been forced to retract the inaccurate advert.

The series of anti-snacking adverts each features a parent and child, with the parent feeding the youngster unhealthy snacks to coax them into talking to the viewer.

When they speak they tell the viewer the various consequences that being overweight will have on them when they are older.

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Sooner after they aired on Monday complaints about the mother-daughter advert began pouring in on FSS’s social media pages.

Caroline Heid – the mother of an eight year-old type one diabetic – branded the advert ‘appalling’, and said the quango needed to ‘seriously rethink’ the campaign.

She added: ‘It beggars belief it was even made. To lump all those conditions together was bad enough but to see a child my daughter’s age saying those things was highly offensive and heartbreaking.

‘What are people going to think when she says she’s diabetic if this campaign goes ahead? And during hypos I have to feed her sugar, how do I explain that?

‘Totally utterly pointless campaign that will cost a fortune, lead to misinformation, eating disorders, more stigma and will not change eating habits one single bit.’

Furious parents of children with diabetes took to Twitter and Facebook to condemn the advert for giving inaccurate information

She also said she had shown the advert to her daughter, who feared that it would make others think she ate too much.

Bev Robertson added: ‘It was an absolute disgrace that either of those adverts made it on to TV. My uncle is type one and a few friends have kids with type one, so I understand how upset this is making people.

‘I totally agree this will not help children but will only make them feel bad about things that are beyond their control.’

On Twitter other parents of type one diabetics piled in, with one saying: ‘I’m so glad my daughter never saw this ridiculous advert. She’d be devastated’

Another furious parent added: ‘My type one diabetic ten year-old son DID NOT get diabetes from eating chocolate.’

One more user suggested that the campaign would ‘misinform children and potentially increase the bullying’ whilst another called it ‘terribly informed’.

In the advert which first aired on Monday night, a mother is seen gibing her daughter sweets

Aoibhe O’Callaghan was one of many people who took to social media to criticise the advert for ‘socially stigmatising’ people with type one diabetes

An amended advert was aired on Wednesday – featuring a smallprint astrix with a caption which appears at the bottom of the screen when the girl speaks.

It reads: ‘Refers to type two diabetes.’

But parents remain displeased – with one sternly telling FSS: ‘The mildly amended advert is not good enough. The message is still chocolate equals diabetes. Scrap the ad.’

Charity Diabetes UK also condemned the ad on social media, saying they are ‘disappointed with the unclear message.’

Rupert Pigot, spokesman for the Scottish branch of the charity, said: ‘Thousands of adults and children across Scotland are living with type one diabetes, an autoimmune condition which is not currently preventable and is not caused by being overweight or eating too many sweets.

‘People with all types of diabetes have to live with a misinformed stigma surrounding their condition and its cause, which can be upsetting and frustrating.

‘Diabetes is a serious and complex condition and it’s important to be specific, particularly about type of diabetes, when we discuss it.’

A spokeswoman for the ASA said: ‘I can confirm we have received two complaints about the recent FSS ad and we are looking into it.’