Junk meals advertisements banned to sort out childhood weight problems | EUROtoday

Junk meals adverts will probably be banned on tv and on-line from Monday as plans to sort out childhood weight problems come into pressure throughout the UK.

The ban will cease meals and drinks excessive in fats, salt and sugar (HFSS) being marketed on TV earlier than 21:00 and at any time on-line.

It applies to merchandise thought-about to be the largest drivers of childhood weight problems, together with delicate drinks, goodies and sweets, pizzas and ice lotions.

The Food and Drink Federation (FDF) mentioned it’s dedicated to serving to individuals eat healthily and has been voluntarily abiding by the brand new restrictions since October.

As nicely as extra clearly unhealthy meals, the ban may even cowl some breakfast cereals and porridges, sweetened bread merchandise, and essential meals and sandwiches.

Decisions over which merchandise fall underneath the ban will probably be primarily based on a scoring instrument, balancing their nutrient ranges in opposition to whether or not they’re excessive in saturated fats, salt, or sugar.

Plain oats and most porridge, muesli and granola is not going to be banned underneath the crackdown, however some variations with added sugar, chocolate or syrup may very well be affected.

Firms can nonetheless promote more healthy variations of banned merchandise, which the federal government hopes will result in meals makers growing more healthy recipes.

The ban solely covers adverts by which unhealthy merchandise might be seen by viewers, which means fast-food companies will nonetheless be capable to promote utilizing their model identify.

Previously, HFSS foods and drinks adverts had been banned on any platform the place greater than 1 / 4 of the viewers was underneath 16.

Firms that don’t adjust to the brand new guidelines danger motion by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).

NHS information reveals nearly one in 10 (9.2%) reception-aged youngsters are actually residing with weight problems, whereas one in 5 youngsters have tooth decay by the age of 5.

It is estimated weight problems prices the NHS greater than £11bn yearly.

Evidence reveals youngsters’s publicity to advertisements for unhealthy meals can affect what they eat from a younger age, in flip placing them at larger danger of turning into obese or overweight.

The authorities estimates the advert ban will forestall round 20,000 instances of childhood weight problems.

Katherine Brown, professor of behaviour change in well being on the University of Hertfordshire, mentioned the ban was “long overdue and a move in the right direction”.

She mentioned: “Children are highly susceptible to aggressive marketing of unhealthy foods and exposure to them puts them at greater risk of developing obesity and associated chronic diseases.”

Ms Brown referred to as for the federal government to make nutritious choices “more affordable, accessible and appealing”.

The FDF mentioned producers are “committed to working in partnership with the government and others to help people make healthier choices”.

It added: “Investing in developing healthier products has been a key priority for food and drink manufacturers for many years and as a result, our members’ products now have a third of the salt and sugar and a quarter of the calories than they did ten years ago.”