Junk food ads to be banned pre-watershed from 2025

As part of the government's attempt to combat childhood obesity straight on.Foods with low nutritional value and high fat, sugar, and salt content will be completely barred from paid-for web advertising beginning October 1 next year. Public health minister Andrew Gwynne announced the strategy in the Commons, saying he believed it would relieve pressure on "our broken NHS" and lower Britain's high child obesity rates.

He explained that the childhood obesity crisis was “setting up children for an unhealthy life and generating yet greater pressures on the NHS”. 

“More than one in five children in England are overweight or living with obesity by the time they start primary school, and this rises to more than one third by the time they leave,” he added.“We want to tackle the problem head on and that includes implementing the restrictions on junk food advertising on TV and online without further delay.

“These restrictions will help protect children from being exposed to advertising of less healthy food and drinks, which evidence shows influences their dietary preferences from a young age.”Similar limits are already in place on the Tube, when Mayor Sadiq Khan banned advertisements for high-sugar foods and beverages on London's transport network in 2019. Advertisements for meals and drinks heavy in fat, salt, and sugar are not permitted to be exhibited on the Underground, Overground, buses, or bus stops.

The policy was included in the Labour manifesto at the recent General Election, and the announcement has been welcomed by health campaigners.

James Toop, the chief executive of Bite Back, which is part of the chef Jamie Oliver’s organisation, told the Guardian: “This is fantastic news. These restrictions will help shield children from exposure to unhealthy food and drink advertising, which research shows significantly shapes their relationship with food.

“We know that the more junk food ads you see, the more unhealthy food you’re likely to consume. Restricting these ads will protect more young people from falling into this trap.”

Katharine Jenner, the director of the Obesity Health Alliance, added: “For too long the food industry has consistently pushed back on these incoming restrictions on advertising unhealthy food on TV before 9pm, and online at any time, saying they need to have ‘more time to prepare’. Not any more.”

The previous Conservative government had pledged to bring in the TV watershed ban from January 2023. 

But the policy was shelved a month before it was due to be introduced, with then Prime Minister pushing it back until 2025.