The UK's Department of Health has said it expects to reduce the number of children living with obesity by 20,000 by banning 'junk food' advertisements broadcast before 9:00 pm.
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New rules in Britain that came into effect on Monday ban junk food advertising on TV and online during the day, in a move the British government has described as a "world-leading step" to tackle childhood obesity.
The ban – targeting advertisements for products high in fat, salt or sugar – is expected to remove significant calories from children’s diets each year, the health ministry said.
By stopping such advertisements before 9:00 pm, it is expected to reduce the number of children living with obesity by 20,000, the ministry said.
Its implementation – first announced in December 2024 – includes pre-packaged items such as milkshakes, ready-to-go coffee and sweetened yoghurt drinks.
Local authorities are also given the power to block fast food outlets from being set up outside schools.
The government argues that advertising influences children to eat junk food from an early age, increasing the risk of obesity and related diseases.
It is estimated that 22 percent of children aged five who start primary school in the UK are overweight or obese, and the impact is even greater by the time they reach secondary school.
Officials say that children aged five to nine are the most likely to be admitted to hospital in the UK for dental problems after eating junk food.
Health Minister Ashley Dalton said in a statement that she would ban junk food adverts before 9pm to reduce the risk of unhealthy eating.
She said the move was part of a strategy to focus the state-funded National Health Service (NHS) on disease prevention as well as treatment, and that people were being helped to live healthier lives.
Kathryn Jenner, executive director of the Obesity Health Alliance, said the move was a welcome and long-awaited step towards protecting children from unhealthy food and drink advertising that could harm their health.
The charity Diabetes UK also welcomed the advertising ban.
