The UK is stepping up its fight against childhood obesity by rolling out a comprehensive ban on junk food advertising.
By October 2025, advertisements promoting unhealthy foods—such as sugary drinks, crisps, and sweets—will be prohibited online and only allowed on television after 9pm, when children are less likely to be watching.
The move comes as part of a broader strategy to reduce the rates of childhood obesity, which currently affect around one in three children leaving primary school in England.
This ban follows growing concern from health experts about the link between ultra-processed foods and a range of chronic diseases, including diabetes and heart disease.
Research has shown that exposure to junk food ads directly influences children’s eating habits, encouraging them to consume more of these unhealthy products. By curbing this exposure, the government aims to help shift children’s dietary preferences toward healthier options.
Additionally, the UK government views this policy as a critical step towards lightening the burden on the NHS. Treating obesity-related conditions is a significant strain on public health resources, and it’s hoped that this preventative approach will reduce long-term healthcare costs.
Health Minister Andrew Gwynne said in a recent statement to the UK Parliament that the new restrictions will help to fix the “broken NHS” by emphasising disease prevention. He added that they will primarily aim to protect children from “being exposed to advertising of less healthy food and drinks, which evidence shows influences their dietary preferences from a young age.”
Health campaigners and organisations like Cancer Research UK and Action on Sugar have praised the decision, seeing it as a powerful tool for shifting public health outcomes in a positive direction.
However, the food and advertising industries have expressed concerns, arguing that the restrictions will negatively impact revenues and could also affect the way brands communicate with consumers. Balancing public health needs with the commercial interests of these industries will likely remain a point of debate as the policy comes into force.
This move is expected to set a precedent, as the UK leads the way in tackling childhood obesity on a national scale.
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