LONDON (Kashmir English): The United Kingdom has prohibited daytime television and online advertisements for junk food in Britain. The government referred to these regulations as a “world-leading action” in fighting childhood obesity.
The restrictions pertain to advertisements promoting unhealthy foods, such as those with high fat, salt, or sugar content, and are expected to result in the elimination of 7.2 billion calories from kids’ diets every year, as per the statement from the health ministry.
Besides affecting the commercials shown before the watershed at 9 pm and those on the internet all the time, the ban is forecasted to decrease the number of obese children by 20,000 and produce around 2 billion euros ($2.7 bn) in health advantages, the ministry reported.
The enforcement of the regulation initially proclaimed December 2024 — has now been implemented, and the process of enacting it has already taken the sugar tax on pre-packaged items like milkshakes, ready-to-go coffees, and sweetened yoghurt drinks, and others as its recent measures.
Moreover, the local authorities have been empowered to stop the opening of fast-food outlets near schools. The government points to studies that indicate that children’s advertising-related influences affect their food choices and timings, practically dictating their likes and dislikes, and consequently putting them at higher risk of becoming overweight and suffering from obesity-related diseases.
The ministry mentions that 22 percent of the children entering the primary school in England, whose average age is about five years, are either overweight or obese, and that this number increases to more than a third by the end of primary school at age 11.
According to the government, tooth decay is the primary reason for hospitalization of children aged five to nine in the UK. Health Minister Ashley Dalton explained in a press release that, “By limiting junk food commercials before 9 pm and prohibiting paid internet ads, we will get rid of the great exposure to unhealthy foods.”
He pointed out that the initiative was part of the mission to transform the National Health Service (NHS), funded by the government, into a machine that not only treats but also prevents people from getting sick, “so people can”
