Children across England will be shielded from junk food advertising on TV and online as world‑leading regulations come into effect today to help tackle rising childhood obesity.
Under the new rules, adverts for less healthy food and drinks are now banned on television before 9pm and online at all times. The measures are expected to remove up to 7.2 billion calories from children’s diets each year, prevent around 20,000 cases of childhood obesity, and deliver £2 billion in long‑term health benefits.
The government says the action targets the media children use most during peak viewing and browsing times, reducing the likelihood that unhealthy products shape their preferences from an early age.
Rates of childhood obesity remain a major public health concern.
- At the start of primary school, 22.1% of children in England are living with overweight or obesity.
- By the end of primary school, this rises to 35.8%.
- Tooth decay remains the leading cause of hospital admissions among children aged 5–9 in the UK.
Ministers say the ban is part of a broader strategy to ensure every child has a healthy start in life, combining public health objectives with support for economic growth. They also thanked food and drink businesses that voluntarily complied with the new restrictions since October, ahead of their legal introduction today.
Previous policies such as the Soft Drinks Industry Levy encouraged manufacturers to reformulate products, and the government says the new ban is already driving similar innovation towards healthier options.
Minister for Health Ashley Dalton said:
“We promised to do everything we can to give every child the best and healthiest start in life.
“By restricting adverts for junk food before 9pm and banning paid adverts online, we can remove excessive exposure to unhealthy foods - making the healthy choice the easy choice for parents and children.
“We’re moving the dial from having the NHS treat sickness, to preventing it so people can lead healthier lives and so it can be there for us when we need it.”
The new restrictions are one element of a wider package designed to reduce child poverty and improve health outcomes. Measures include:
- The Healthy Food Standard to make the average weekly shop healthier
- New powers for councils to prevent fast‑food outlets opening near schools
- Extension of the Soft Drinks Industry Levy to cover sugary milk‑based drinks
- A ban on selling high‑caffeine energy drinks to under‑16s
- New rules reducing the cost of baby formula, saving families up to £500 per year
- Supervised toothbrushing for children aged three to five, aimed at the most deprived areas
- The landmark Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which will stop the next generation from taking up smoking or vaping, and curtail youth‑targeted vape advertising, flavours and packaging
Katharine Jenner, Obesity Health Alliance Executive Director, also commented:
“It’s been one battle after another, but we are finally going to see children being protected from the worst offending junk food adverts. This is a welcome and long-awaited step towards better protecting children from unhealthy food and drink advertising that can harm their health and wellbeing. These new restrictions will help reduce children’s exposure to the most problematic adverts and mark real progress towards a healthier food environment.
“For the government to achieve its ambition of raising the healthiest generation ever, this is an important policy as part of a broader approach to preventing obesity-related ill health. Continuing to strengthen the rules over time will help ensure these protections remain effective.”
Image credit: iStock
