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Chile to fight child obesity with food labeling law

Wednesday, 29 June 2016 1:59 PM [ Last Update: Wednesday, 29 June 2016 1:59 PM ]

This product sold in a supermarket carries the labels required by law to show the levels of calories, sugars and fats, in Santiago, Chile, June 27, 2016. (AP)

Chile has implemented a new law for food labeling aimed at reducing the country’s childhood obesity.

The Health Ministry orders labels to be placed on foodstuffs that are high in sugar, calories, sodium and saturated fat.

According to the law, the sale of any of those products in schools as well as advertisements for them that target children under 14 would be forbidden. Such foodstuffs cannot be sold with toys, either.

Chile has one of the highest rates of obesity in the world. Data shows five out of every ten Chilean children are overweight and one of every eleven deaths is linked to obesity.

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