The official roll out of the updated ad ban will mean that adverts for ‘less healthy food and drinks’ will be banned on television before 9pm. There will equally be a total ban on all online advertising for such foods.
The move, which has been in the works for several years and has now been rubber stamped by the Labour government, is designed to deliver on MPs’ promises to fight rising rates of childhood obesity across the UK.
Laying out its reasons for the decision, the figures provided by Downing Street are stark; as many as 22.1% of children in England are overweight or obese at the start of primary school, with this number rising to 35.8% by the time they leave.
Of additional concern, tooth decay is the leading cause of hospital admissions for young children (typically ages 5-9) in the UK.
Minister for health, Ashley Dalton said: “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.”
According to the Government, the advertising ban will help it to achieve its aims of removing up to 7.2 billion calories from children’s diets each year, as well as reducing the number of children living with obesity by 20,000.
If successful, the policy could deliver around £2 billion in health benefits over time and will be boosted by existing initiatives such as the Soft Drinks Industry Levy, as well as greater powers for local authorities to block fast food shops opening up near schools.
“With type 2 diabetes on the rise in young people, the need to improve children’s health in the UK has never been greater. 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,” added Colette Marshall, chief executive at Diabetes UK.
“The long-awaited move to restrict junk food advertising – along with other measures such as mandatory healthy food sales reporting for businesses and the extension of the Soft Drinks Industry Levy – can help protect the health of our children, creating a future where conditions like type 2 diabetes can be prevented in young people.”
