Should formula milk advertising be completely illegal

[Reallytired]

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6933188.stm

I think so. Mums who need to use formula, are better off getting advice from health professionals rather than advertising.

No formula in hospitals?

Really?

I agree that breastfeeding should be the default position, but not having formula "lying around" seems OTT.

Somare formula in hospitals , yes. All of the major manufacturuers on offer? Why not for nappies then?

I'm going to parp myself, just in case I post ANYTHING. Re other discussion about formula

no it shouldnt be banned. not everyone can or wants to breastfeed. maybe the adverts should be changed but not banned. ff mothers are entitled to know what is on the market so they can research and choose what one to use themselves.

its pro breastfeeding being pushed to far imo. not every in britain can bf and formula ads should not be banned as it would look like formula was evil.

How can you ban formula adverts? Its not harmful as such is it?

I think we need to turn this the other way around.

The government needs to spend a lot more on promoting BF and sponsoring BF counsellors/drop ins etc. They should also sponsor a high profile publicity campaign through posters and the media. The BBc etc need to insist that Tv programmes it sponsors and soaps such as Eastenders etc and in particular Holby/Casualty show BF mothers as part of normal life.

That is my humble opinion anyway....

When you say "the government", you do realise that they have to spend money raised from our taxes, right? How much are you willing to pay per year to promote breastfeeding?

But yes, interesting that advertising infant formula has been illegal in this country for years, and yet so many people find it hard to believe that it could be?!

I's PMSL if it wasn't so sad. Those poor hard-done-by formula companies, who make sure that they get round the law or even flout the law outrageously.

Agree with foxcub.
Of course they definitely shouldn't be allowed to make misleading or unsubstantiated claims, but hasn't this been addressed already? They can't say anything about being close to breastmilk or anything like that can they?
And they should be made to be upfront about contents if they are not already.
But banned from advertising? No.

Energy should be diverted into positively improving the bf situation (yes I know it is) rather than banning promotion of formula.
I bet you could get some celebrities to donate their services to advertising breastfeeding.

Demonising the formula milk companies is hardly going to solve the problem of low levels of BF in the UK is it, without adequate support and advice for Mums.

Less tax spent on killing Iraqis and more spent on promoting BF would be rather nice

flowerybeanbag - it would be nice if Bf became the "fashionable" thing to do, with some high profile women doing it in public.

foxcub - why should we have to spend more taxpayers money to counter advertising by companies when we could just ban those companies from advertising?

as someone else said, we hardly need advertising for anything (although we may need the product). no, formula isn't harmful, but for very young babies the decision to give formula should really be made with a health professional. advertising prescription medicines is banned too you know - it's not just fags.

Senera - you've missed the point really. Countering pr is not the issue - a hell of a lot of women give up BF early on. They give up for many reasons, such as feeling embarassed, hurting, mastitis, breast thrush, unsupportive partners, etc etc.

I have never,ever met a Mum who gave up BF because she saw an advert for formula milk. Do you really think women are so gullible they believ advertising spin?

If only it were as simple as banning FF advertising!!! LOL!

no in answer to the title question

fgs

I've been really surprised on this thread by the number of people who clearly did not know that the advertising of infant formula has been banned for years.

The world health organisation recommnends that the advertising of infant formula, or follow on milk is banned. This is not the same as saying that formula should be banned.

I think that accurate information on formula should be available to pregnant women or those with young babies who actively want the information. What I object to is my five year old son watching adverts for follow on milk on the TV.

I see formula a bit like medicine. It is a necessarity for many women for a wide range of reasons.

foxcub: well, obviously not, but if advertising has no effect at all, why do they do it? and why did they bother banning cigarette ads ("I never thought I'd smoke, but the ads were just so cool that I bought a pack")

For those advocating that formula ads should be legal because of 'freedom of choice' (especially if you think it should be legal to advertise it for young babies):

formula is different from other types of product in this regard, because the decision to use it may be irreversible. If someone chooses to consume (say) white bread instead of brown bread, based on an ad, they can always change their mind a month later if they realise brown bread is healthier. If someone chooses to formula feed, influenced by ads which normalise it, then they may not have the 'freedom of choice' to switch to bfing at a later date.

I agree that there should be ore support for bf btw. but nt more pro bf advertising - that's pointless.

I don't think the law should be changed.
I don't like the idea of advertising infant formula. But I prefer pro-breastfeeding campaigns than anti-formula campaigns. It looks better, and is less likely (IMO) to entrench opinions.

There is already a ban in infant formula. Going after follow on milk (and yes, I know all about follow on milk) would I think look like negative campaigning.

foxcub - when that advertising spin includes the idea that formula is close to breast milk, is as good as breast milk, has been endlessly researched, is being constantly improved, then yes I think a lot of women who are going through a rough time take a lot of comfort from that. We like to hear about long fancy named amino-acids which are also present in breast milk. We want "improved" versions. Prebiotic also sounds pretty impressive. And since of course formula milk is so good and so safe then of course familes and partners don't have to be totally supportive - there's a perfectly good substitute out there.

Isn't amazing that none of the advertising tells you about what they put into formula that isn't in breast milk?

The best forms of advertising are subliminal. You do not realise that the advertising is affecting your decisions. The formula advertisiing is aimed as much at the Dads and granparents as much as the mothers.

I remember my husband buying a tin of SMA follow on milk with the best of intentions (without being asked) because I was was struggling with breastfeeding a newborn baby.

Advertising enters the sub concious.

of course advertising formula should be completely illegal, follow-on was created simply to provide a product which could be legally advertised.

did any of you hear the piece on the R4 Today programme this morning? i was thrown into fury and even dp was pretty shocked at the way the formula company rep was delivering her message "when women have to STOP" [dramatic pause] then resumed shtick.

i had an interesting discussion on a training course today, apparently marketing doesn't work on influencing people's actual choices. don't agree in this case though as it is clearly a case of creating a market where non previously existed.

I have a vintage baby knitting book (ok its one my mum used for me and big sis...) Ad for Cow and Gate showing a smiling baby and saying things like 'look at his bright eyes , his happy face, his clear skin, he is a Cow And Gate Baby. Go and buy a tin today!' and at the bottom it says 'As used in Royal Nurseries'. (Prince Andrew had just put in an appearance).
So the modern advertising of follow on milk doesn't seem as bad when compared to that does it?

What is the idfference? It is still all about brand loyalty. No Marathon/Snickers confusion in the baby milk game. I was an SMA baby, Cow and Gate are still going strong... It is the whole subliminal pervasive nature of the advertising that is so obnoxious. Of course it is comforting to know that I'm giving soemthing to my baby that i had as a baby. Better than reading through the list of ingredients and wondering whether synthised flouride should really be included in what I give him.

Will parp myself now. I don't have anything against formula really - just the way in which it is advertised is so insidious. But I'll leave you with the thought - how come ordinary milk isn't advertised in the same way. As a population we drink more of it.

No, it shouldn't be illegal but there should be a big fat notice taking up at least 33% of each ad saying Breast is Best and then four or five bullets stating why. And formula companies MUST refute any claims that their products are in any way close to breast milk.

Formula companies have had decades of aggressive marketing and now it's time to stop them making zillions at the cost (and it IS a cost) of children's health. We still don't know just how beneficial breast milk is to babies and yet the little we know already shows how superior it is to formula.

I don't think it makes any difference re the choice of breast or formula tbh. You usually know before hand what you intend to do and even if you opt for breastfeeding, lots don't do it for very long so they turn to formula in the end.

The only benefit I can see for the formula companies is that a parent selects their brand over a rivals.

Just like to add, I wasn't aware of any formula advertising back in the 70's I just used what the hospital had (SMA) but obviously knew a bit more about it with 2 and 3 so chose differently, basically cos SMA tastes like cardboard (poor dd)