News [12/11/2006 ]         WFA has responded on behalf of global marketers to the two-year pan-European study lead by researchers at the University of Sussex (UK) entitled ‘Policy Options for Responding to the Growing Challenge of Obesity’ (PorGrow). The PorGrow study uses innovative research methodology to indentify favoured options amongst stakeholders to tackle obesity. On advertising the study concludes ‘Controls on the advertising of food and drink are… of concern at EU level, in the regulatory framework for cross-border broadcasting, as well as through internet marketing, branding of toys, educational material and sports kit, packaging design and food product formulation.’ WFA's letter of response to the University of Sussex supports the overall objective of the PorGrow project - to inform the policy debate using innovative methods of analysis and research - and welcomes any contribution to the ongoing discussion about, and potential policy options to tackle, obesity. WFA sets out a number of questions regarding the methodology of the PorGrow study, particulary considering the study may be used to inform EU policy. Clarification is sought on the process of how policy options were defined as well as the scientific justification for making the distinction between ‘core’ and ‘discretionary’ options, and whether this distinction fits in with the overall objectives of the project. In the final results, greater importance is allocated to the ‘core’ options, which results in changes in overall policy rankings. In the country-specific results, restrictions to food marketing consistently rates as a middle to low ranking option although it rises in popularity once the results are adjusted. WFA seeks to better understand why this should be necessary and the methodology used for ‘re-weighting’ the policy options. While WFA has directly challenged the Study's methodology to the authors of the report, WFA concerns have been directly communicated to the EU Commission (DG Sanco), who were the main funding partners for the project. For more information please contact w.gilroy@wfanet.org