British burger ad banned because it condones 'poor nutritional habits'

LONDON, Aug. 7 (UPI) -- A British burger ad won't be rebroadcast after an advocacy group decided that the spot promoted "poor nutritional habits" and an "unhealthy lifestyle."

In the ad from Morrisons supermarket, a girl is talking to her mother about school while getting ready to dig in to a burger. Before she starts to eat, the daughter removes the lettuce, onion and tomato from the burger and puts them to the side.

According to the Advertising Standards Authority, the move "suggested she was not going to eat the salad later."

The ASA began looking into the advertisement after 11 people complained about it, BBC News reported. The agency ruled that the ad broke two U.K. broadcast advertising rules.

"Because we considered the ad placed an emphasis on the burger being the preferable option to the salad, we concluded it condoned poor nutritional habits or an unhealthy lifestyle, especially in children, and that it disparaged good dietary practice," the ASA said.

During the hearing, Morrisons argued the girl "did not look disdainfully at the salad items" and that "it was perfectly feasible that she would return to it later."

It's a good thing the ASA hasn't seen Fatburger's new sandwich...