UK bans daytime TV and online adverts for junk food to tackle childhood obesity
LONDON: New regulations came into force on Monday in Britain banning daytime TV and online adverts for so‑called junk foods, in what the government calls a 'world‑leading action' to tackle childhood obesity.
The ban, targeting adverts for products high in fat, salt or sugar, is expected to remove up to 7.2 billion calories from children’s diets each year, the health ministry said.
Impacting adverts airing before the 9:00 pm watershed and anytime online, it will reduce the number of children living with obesity by 20,000 and deliver around £2 billion ($2.7bn) in health benefits, the ministry added.
The implementation of the measure, first announced in December 2024, follows other recent steps, including an extended sugar tax on pre‑packaged items such as milkshakes, ready‑to‑go coffees and sweetened yoghurt drinks.
Local authorities have also been given the power to stop fast‑food shops setting up outside schools.
The government says evidence shows advertising influences what and when children eat, shaping preferences from a young age and increasing the risk of obesity and related illnesses.
It notes 22% of children starting primary school in England, typically aged around five, are overweight or obese, rising to more than a third by the time they progress to secondary school at 11.
Tooth decay is the leading cause of UK hospital admissions for young children, typically aged five to nine, officials said.
"By restricting adverts for junk food before 9pm and banning paid adverts online, we can remove excessive exposure to unhealthy foods," health minister Ashley Dalton said.
He added the move was part of a strategy to make the state‑funded National Health Service focus on preventing as well as treating sickness, "so people can lead healthier lives".
Katharine Jenner, executive director of the Obesity Health Alliance, described the measure as "a welcome and long‑awaited step towards better protecting children from unhealthy food and drink advertising that can harm their health and wellbeing".
The charity Diabetes UK also welcomed the adverts ban, with its chief executive, Colette Marshall, noting that type 2 diabetes is on the rise in young people.
"Obesity is a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes, and the condition can lead to more severe consequences in young people, leaving them at risk of serious complications like kidney failure and heart disease," she added.
By RSS/AFP
