Junk food ad ban ‘will prevent an estimated 20,000 cases of childhood obesity’

A pre-watershed ban on ads for junk food will prevent an estimated 20,000 cases of childhood obesity, the UK Government has said.

More detail on which food and drink products will be covered by the regulations are to published on Tuesday, as the Government confirmed the laying of secondary legislation for the ban.

The ban, which had been first put forward by Boris Johnson’s Conservative government in 2021, will come into force in October next year, after which television ads for junk food products will be allowed only after 9pm.

Online ads

It will also include a ban on paid-for online ads for these products to reduce children’s exposure to foods high in fat, sugar or salt.

The Government said the ban was expected to remove 7.2 billion calories a year from UK children’s diets.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting said: “Obesity robs our kids of the best possible start in life, sets them up for a lifetime of health problems, and costs the NHS billions.

“This Government is taking action now to end the targeting of junk food ads at kids, across both TV and online.

“This is the first step to deliver a major shift in the focus of healthcare from sickness to prevention, and towards meeting our Government’s ambition to give every child a healthy, happy start to life.”

NHS data shows a trend of rising childhood obesity, with almost one in 10 reception-aged children (9.2%) now living with obesity and one in five by the age of five (23.7%) suffering tooth decay because of excess sugar consumption.

Health issues

Professor Sir Stephen Powis, NHS national medical director, said: “NHS figures show that one in eight toddlers and primary school children are obese, and this is clearly a problem not only because we know that it could lead to young people having health issues later in life, but it’s also storing up problems for a future NHS which already spends billions dealing with the issue.

“We’ve always said the NHS can play its part in supporting people who are obese to reach a healthier weight, but we need to work with the rest of society to prevent people becoming overweight in the first place.

“So we welcome this proposed legislation and look forward to working with the government and partners to help protect the good health of future generations.”

Life-limiting illnesses

Children with obesity are said to be more likely to live with the condition as adults and to be at significantly greater risk of life-limiting illnesses.

Obesity is the second biggest preventable cause of cancer, according to health experts, costs the UK health service more than £11 billion each year, and is a major contributor to ill health that prevents people from participating fully in work.