News in brief: July 2012

The US media giant Walt Disney has announced plans to ban junk food adverts on its online, television, and radio programmes.

Annually, £650m (€812m; $1000m) is pumped into advertisements directed at children under 12 years. About one third of US children are overweight, and Disney aims to set healthier nutrition standards by removing the temptation for children to eat badly.

Plans will not come to fruition until 2015, and exactly how junk food will be defined remains to be stipulated by the company. Currently, foods and drinks that are too high in sugar or salt will not be advertised, and a full meal will be marketed only if it contains fewer than 600 calories.

Disney has also recently introduced the “Mickey Check,” a sticker distinguishing healthy foods sold by the company from those of poor nutritional value.

Contacting patients using modern technology still has scope for human error.

The Medical