The think tank called for the tax to fund a national Health Promotion Agency to promote fruit and vegetables. ISBA said the report was an effort to generate headlines rather than to genuinely tackle the problems of unhealthy diets and lifestyles.
ISBA argued that it would be unfair to single out and tax particular types of food advertising, because there was no one category of foods responsible for food accessibility problems in dietary issues in the UK.
The advertising body argued that the tax would also be misplaced. It backed its argument up by saying that while TV advertising does maintain or grow the market share of particular brands, it does not grow the overall category, which remains limited against total UK consumption.
ISBA director general Malcolm Earnshaw said: "We believe that Demos' proposals are an emotive and irrational reaction to public concerns over growing levels of obesity. The Demos report attempts to enter this debate with headlines rather than with a genuine attempt to tackle the problems of unhealthy diets and unhealthy lifestyles. The recommendations place a disproportionate burden on advertisers to address what are very complex social issues, including food accessibility and dietary choices."
Earnshaw added that Demos had failed to acknowledge the wealth of research evidence that confirms that TV advertising is only one of many factors which influence diet.
"The research has confirmed that there is no such thing as 'unhealthy' food, only unhealthy diets and lifestyles. ISBA maintains that there is no significant direct effect of TV advertising on consumption of specific foods. We, therefore, believe it is unfair to single out and tax particular types of food advertising, because there is no one category of foods responsible for food accessibility problems and dietary issues in the UK," he said.
If you have an opinion on this or any other issue raised on Brand Republic, join the debate in the .