Major replace on junk meals advert ban as unhealthy snacks focused – see full record

Children will be shielded from ads for cakes, soft drinks and sweets from next year under a childhood obesity crackdown.

A ban on junk food advertising will come into force in October 2024, with paid-for online ads for unhealthy foods outlawed under new legislation. It will also apply to adverts shown on TV before the 9pm watershed to protect kids from excessive exposure to many foods high in fat, sugar, or salt.

Guidance is being published today on which food and drink categories will be covered by the regulations. It includes chocolate, sweets, ice cream, puddings, pizza and sweetened yoghurt.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting said: “Obesity robs our kids of the best possible start in life, sets them up for a lifetime of health problems, and costs the NHS billions. This government is taking action now to end the targeting of junk food ads at kids, across both TV and online.

“This is the first step to deliver a major shift in the focus of healthcare from sickness to prevention, and towards meeting our government’s ambition to give every child a healthy, happy start to life.”

The Department of Health claimed the move could strip 7.2 billion calories per year from children’s diets, preventing an estimated 20,000 cases of childhood obesity. The ban was first put forward by Boris Johnson’s government in 2021 but it was repeatedly delayed.

NHS data shows child obesity is on the rise, with almost one in 10 reception-aged children (9.2%) now living with obesity and one in five by the age of five (23.7%) suffering tooth decay because of excess sugar consumption.

Professor Sir Stephen Powis, NHS national medical director, said: “NHS figures show that one in eight toddlers and primary school children are obese, and this is clearly a problem not only because we know that it could lead to young people having health issues later in life, but it’s also storing up problems for a future NHS which already spends billions dealing with the issue.

“We’ve always said the NHS can play its part in supporting people who are obese to reach a healthier weight, but we need to work with the rest of society to prevent people becoming overweight in the first place.”

Children with obesity are more likely to be obese as adults, with a greater risk of a number of serious health conditions. Obesity is the second biggest preventable cause of cancer and costs the NHS more than £11 billion each year.

See the full list of products covered by the ban

1. Prepared soft drinks containing added sugar ingredients
2. Savoury snacks
3. Breakfast cereals and porridges.
4. Chocolates and sweets.
5. Ice cream, ice lollies, frozen yoghurt, water ices and similar frozen products.
6. Cakes and cupcakes.
7. Sweet biscuits and bars of any shape based on one or more of nuts, seeds or cereal.
8. Morning goods including sweet pastries and sweetened bread products
9. Desserts and puddings
10. Sweetened yoghurt and fromage frais.
11. Pizzas.
12. Prepared potato products.
13. Main meals and sandwiches.