Landmark Junk Food Ad Ban To Protect Kids’ Health

Children will be protected from exposure to junk food advertising on TV and online as new regulations come into force to help tackle childhood obesity.

Adverts for less healthy food and drinks are now banned on television before 9pm and online at all times.

This decisive and world-leading action by this government is expected to remove up to 7.2 billion calories from children’s diets each year, reduce the number of children living with obesity by 20,000 and deliver around £2 billion in health benefits over time.

Evidence shows advertising influences what and when children eat, shaping preferences from a young age and increasing the risk of obesity and related illnesses. The ban targets the media children and young people use most, at the times they use it.

At the start of primary school, 22.1% of children in England are living with overweight or obesity and this rises to 35.8% by the time they leave. Tooth decay is the leading cause of hospital admissions for young children (typically ages 5 to 9) in the UK.

Minister for Health, Ashley Dalton, said:
“We promised to do everything we can to give every child the best and healthiest start in life.

“By restricting adverts for junk food before 9pm and banning paid adverts online, we can remove excessive exposure to unhealthy foods – making the healthy choice the easy choice for parents and children.

“We’re moving the dial from having the NHS treat sickness to preventing it, so people can lead healthier lives and so it can be there for us when we need it.

“This government has worked closely with health campaigners and industry leaders to find the right balance which combines our commitment to raising healthy kids and economic growth. It’s in everyone’s interest that parents and children can make healthy choices and we thank food and drink companies for getting behind these restrictions voluntarily since October, ahead of them taking legal effect today.”

Previous interventions, such as the Soft Drinks Industry Levy, resulted in businesses reformulating to make products healthier and the measures coming into effect today have already had a similar impact, driving the development and promotion of healthier options.