UK ban on advertising of unhealthy food comes into force

New rules banning daytime TV and online advertising of unhealthy foods come into force in the United Kingdom (UK) on Monday, in what the government is calling a "world-leading measure" in the fight against childhood obesity.

According to the Ministry of Health, the ban is expected to remove up to 7.2 billion calories from children's diets each year by targeting advertising of high-fat, high-salt and high-sugar products.

The ban will affect advertisements broadcast before 9pm and at any time online, which is expected to lead to around 20,000 fewer cases of childhood obesity in the country and a public health benefit of around £2 billion (€2.31 billion), the ministry added.

The ban, which was first announced in December 2024, comes into force following the recent introduction of other measures, including an extended sugar tax on pre-packaged products such as milkshakes, ready-made coffee and sweetened yoghurt drinks.

Local authorities have also been given the power to prevent fast food outlets from locating near schools.

The government says evidence shows that advertising influences what and when children eat, shapes their habits from an early age and increases their risk of obesity and related diseases.

She notes that 22% of children starting primary school in England (usually around the age of five) are overweight or obese, rising to more than a third by the age of 11, when they start secondary school.

Dental caries is the leading cause of hospital admissions among young children, mostly between the ages of five and nine, officials say.

„By limiting unhealthy food advertising to 9pm and banning paid-for advertising on the internet, we can eliminate the overexposure to unhealthy food“, Health Minister Ashley Dalton said in a statement.

She added that the move is part of a strategy to make the publicly funded National Health Service (NHS) focus on preventing disease rather than curing it – „so that people can live healthier lives“.

Katharine Jenner, chief executive of the „Obesity Health Alliance“, said it was „a welcome and long overdue step to better protect children from unhealthy food and drink advertising that can harm their health and wellbeing“.

Diabetes UK has also welcomed the advertising ban, with its chief executive Colette Marshall noting that the incidence of type 2 diabetes among young people is on the rise.

„Obesity is a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes and in young people the disease can have more serious consequences – they are at risk of serious complications such as kidney failure and heart disease“, she added.