A new law aimed at curbing childhood obesity in the UK will ban junk food ads from television and online platforms, starting from October 2025. The regulations will restrict TV adverts for junk food products to airtime after 9pm, while paid online adverts will be prohibited altogether.
The move is part of a key government commitment to give every child the best start in life and address rising rates of obesity-related diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. Industry guidance has been published today to provide details on which food categories will be covered by the regulations.
Under the new rules, an estimated 7.2 billion calories per year are expected to be removed from UK children’s diets, preventing approximately 20,000 cases of childhood obesity. The government estimates that these measures will help tackle the rising trend of childhood obesity, with almost one in 10 reception-aged children now living with obesity and a significant proportion of young children also suffering from tooth decay due to excess sugar consumption.
Healthcare officials are welcoming the move, highlighting the need for preventative action to address the causes of childhood obesity. The NHS has already stated that obesity is a major contributor to ill health that prevents people from fully participating in work, with costs estimated at over £11 billion annually.
The government aims to shift the focus of healthcare from treatment to prevention, with this legislation marking an important step towards achieving its goal.
Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/junk-food-ad-ban-legislation-progresses-to-curb-childhood-obesity