The Chilean government is using marketing restrictions, packaging regulations and labelling rules to tackle obesity. Three-quarters of adults in the country, and over half of 6-year-old children, are overweight or obese.
The laws were introduced two years ago and have seen cartoon characters removed from sugary food packaging, junk food sales banned from schools and an 18% soda tax introduced. Further developments this year will include a ban on marketing infant formula and a ban on junk food adverts between 6am and 10pm.
Some food companies have reacted with intellectual property lawsuits and television adverts decrying the regulations. However, 20% of all products sold in Chile have been reformulated to avoid having to use the black warning labels on their packaging.
Read the full story here. See also the Foodsource chapter What can be done to shift eating patterns in healthier, more sustainable directions?
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