Dealing with childhood obesity, the United Kingdom will restrict advertising for junk food

2024-09-13 12:52:59

The British government will ban junk food advertising on the internet and on daytime television to tackle childhood obesity, in a country where government intervention on these topics is often criticized as an intrusion into private life.

The measure, which is part of Labour’s plan for the election that brought Keir Starmer to power in July, is scheduled for October 1, 2025, the government confirmed on Wednesday.

This announcement comes after Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on Thursday that he wants to reform the public health system, in a serious crisis, especially by placing more emphasis on prevention.

“More than one in five children in England are overweight or obese before entering primary school, and this proportion rises to more than one in three when they leave” primary school, Andrew Gwynne, Acting Secretary of State for Health and Prevention explained. , a written statement was sent to Parliament.

This measure “will help protect children from advertising for unhealthy foods and drinks, as data shows that it affects their food preferences from a very young age,” he stressed.

Specifically, the government plans to ban advertising for fatty, sweet or salty foods before 9:00 pm on television and online entirely.

Backed by the Conservatives under Boris Johnson, these restrictions on advertising for junk food were postponed to allow more time for manufacturers in the sector to adapt.

The Labor government plans other measures aimed at strengthening health prevention, such as banning energy drinks for under-16s.

Such measures are controversial in the United Kingdom, where they are criticized by a section of the public that sees them as an attack on individual freedom. Many conservative media outlets have already mocked the Labor government’s intention to develop a “nanny state” on Friday.

In a report also published on Friday, a think tank specializing in childhood, the Center for Young Lives, called on the government to “face the critics of the ‘nanny state'”, and to make funds – tax on sugar, especially to improve the progress. dental health of children.