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Dr. Kim Mulvihill Reporting New regulations in the United Kingdom are shaking up the dairy industry there. The British government is officially labeling cheese as a junk food.
The Brits are quite serious. Beginning this month, cheese commercials are banned from any television broadcast in Britain.
Suilan Chin & Tommy Mathon: "Mom we like cheese. We like cheese a lot. Do you like cheese?"
But the British government won't give cheese a chance. Under new regulations that will take effect this month, ads promoting cheese will be banned during any TV show that attracts viewers under 16.
The British government says cheese is unhealthier than sugary cereals or potato chips. The action is all part of a drive to crack down on junk food. Junk food?
Cheese Lover: "Ha ha ha. I can't believe it. They must have lost their minds."
That rule just isn't cutting it with bay area cheese lovers.
Cheese Lover: "I think that's kind of extreme."
It also doesn't cut it with Dr. Jeffrey Aron, an expert in clinical nutrition at California Pacific Medical Center.
Dr. Jeffrey Aron, Clinical Nutrition Expert: "I think it's a little bit over the top to tell you the truth It's over doing it."
While Dr. Aron believes trans-fats, the kind of fat often found in fried foods and baked goods, should be completely eliminated from your diet, cheese is an excellent source of important nutrients.
Dr. Jeffrey Aron, Clinical Nutrition Expert: "Cheese has protein, minerals and calcium."
There's an obesity epidemic in Britain. Some studies suggest TV ads may play a role. Dr. Aron believes it's more complicated than that.
Dr. Jeffrey Aron, Clinical Nutrition Expert: "A lot of it is total calories, portion control, whether you are getting off your behind form the TV set and the remote control and getting some exercise, that's huge."
Other foods that fall under the TV advertising ban include bacon, chicken nuggets, sausages, hamburgers, chocolate, and a sticky dark brown paste made from yeast, called marmite, which is something like vegemite.
