The ban – targeting ads 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 ads airing before the 9pm watershed and any time online, it will reduce the number of children living with obesity by 20,000 and deliver around £2 billion (S$3.5 billion) 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 yogurt drinks.
The local authorities have also been given the power to stop fast-food shops from setting up outside schools. The government argues evidence shows that advertising influences what and when children eat, shaping preferences from a young age and increasing the risk of obesity and related illnesses. It notes that 22 per cent of children beginning 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 schools at 11 years old.
Tooth decay is the leading cause of British hospital admissions for young children, typically aged five to nine, according to officials. In a statement, Health Minister Ashley Dalton said: “By restricting adverts for junk food before 9pm and banning paid adverts online, we can remove excessive exposure to unhealthy foods.” She added that 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”. Ms Katharine Jenner, executive director of the Obesity Health Alliance, said it was “a welcome and long-awaited step towards better protecting children from unhealthy food and drink advertising that can harm their health and well-being”. The charity Diabetes UK also welcomed the ban on ads, with its chief executive Colette Marshall noting that Type 2 diabetes is on the rise in young people.
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