Advertisement

‘Break the pattern’ - Should Ireland ban ‘junk food’ sponsoring sports teams?

Junk food companies should not be allowed to advertise sponsorship with sports teams, according t...
Ellen Kenny
Ellen Kenny

13.03 6 Sep 2024


Share this article


‘Break the pattern’ - Should I...

‘Break the pattern’ - Should Ireland ban ‘junk food’ sponsoring sports teams?

Ellen Kenny
Ellen Kenny

13.03 6 Sep 2024


Share this article


Junk food companies should not be allowed to advertise sponsorship with sports teams, according to the HSE. 

HSE clinical lead for Obesity Professor Donal O’Shea said the HSE has been asking the Irish State for 15 years to consider banning advertised sponsorship from sweet companies. 

Advertisement

“Sponsorship of sports teams even at the underage level is happening with so-called junk food,” he told Lunchtime Live.

He said confectionary companies will use many tactics to subtly advertise to children, despite some bans on advertising junk food to children. 

Tactics include the placing of products at children’s eye level and using popular baby names at the time in ads, according to Prof O’Shea. 

“It’s packaging appeal to the three-year-old brain... it shouldn’t be tolerated.” 

Junk food sponsorship

CEO and Co-founder of Sport Endorse Trevor Twamley said there is a “problem with obesity” in Ireland – but banning sponsorships isn’t the way to deal with that. 

“I think it starts at home – as a father of three girls when they go to creche it’s the stuff there and they're going to eat it,” he said. 

The Supermacs fast food restaurant on O’Connell Street in Dublin The Supermac's fast food restaurant on O’Connell Street in Dublin. Image: Leah Farrell/RollingNews

He also noted companies like Supermac's are a huge help to the teams they sponsor. 

“It creates more employment, it creates more people playing the sport,” he said. 

“When you start banning you take money away from the sports... it trickles down. 

“[Sponsorships] do feed the grassroots – banning isn’t the way to go.” 

He also pointed out that a fifth of people still smoke cigarettes despite the ban on advertising them. 

Prof O’Shea said someone like Supermac's is welcome to sponsor Galway GAA – but they don’t need the logo on the jersey. 

“That logo is advertising to incredibly impressionable young people.” 

Listen back here:


Share this article


Read more about

Junk Food Sports

Most Popular