Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you to the witnesses for being with us.
Mr. Arango, a recent report by the Heart and Stroke Foundation found that 90% of online food and beverage ads viewed by youth are for unhealthy products high in fat, sugar, and salt, such as desserts, snacks, cereals, and sodas. The report noted that such advertising is a key factor in explaining why one-third of Canadian children are currently overweight or obese, and why, since 1979, the number of Canadian children with obesity has tripled.
Since 1980 the province of Quebec, where childhood obesity rates are the lowest in the country, has banned advertisements for toys and fast food aimed at children under 13. In your view, should there be a national ban on junk food advertisements directed at young people?