Facts Matter in the Debate on Food Advertising

Public debate on food and beverage marketing deserves better than outdated evidence and sensational headlines. ANZA’s response to the Press article “Larger than Life Burgers” calls out the misuse of decade-old data to suggest advertisers target children near schools — a claim that simply doesn’t reflect today’s strict regulatory reality. New Zealand’s Advertising Standards Authority Codes already prohibit such advertising and are among the toughest globally. This paper challenges misinformation, defends responsible advertisers, and urges policymakers and journalists alike to base public health discussions on current, causative evidence — not conjecture.