The United Kingdom has begun enforcing new regulations that ban the advertising of foods high in fat, salt or sugar on daytime television and across online platforms. The measures, which came into force on Monday, are positioned by the government as a decisive intervention to address childhood obesity and its growing impact on public health.
Under the new rules, advertising for so called junk food is prohibited before the 9 pm on television and at all times online. According to the UK health ministry, the restrictions could remove up to 7.2 billion calories from children’s diets each year. The policy is expected to reduce the number of children living with obesity by around 20,000 and generate approximately £2 billion in long term health benefits.
Prevention focused strategy
The advertising ban was first announced in December 2024 and forms part of a broader prevention focused strategy. Recent complementary measures include an expansion of the sugar tax to cover pre packaged products such as milkshakes, ready to drink coffees and sweetened yoghurt drinks. Local authorities have also been given new powers to prevent fast food outlets from opening near schools, reinforcing efforts to create healthier food environments for children.
The government points to strong evidence that advertising significantly influences children’s eating behaviour, shaping food preferences from an early age and affecting both what and when children eat. In England, 22 percent of children are already overweight or obese when they start primary school, typically around the age of five. By the time they reach secondary school at around eleven years old, this figure rises to more than one third. Poor diet also has immediate health consequences, with tooth decay remaining the leading cause of hospital admissions among children aged five to nine.
Necessary step
Health minister Ashley Dalton described the restrictions as a necessary step to reduce children’s exposure to unhealthy food marketing. By limiting advertising before 9 pm and banning paid online promotions, the government aims to support a shift within the National Health Service towards prevention alongside treatment, with the goal of enabling healthier lives across the population.
Public health organisations have welcomed the move. Katharine Jenner, executive director of the Obesity Health Alliance, described the ban as a long awaited step towards better protecting children from advertising that undermines their health and wellbeing. Diabetes UK also expressed support, with chief executive Colette Marshall highlighting the rise of type 2 diabetes among young people. Obesity, she noted, is a major risk factor for the condition and can lead to serious long term complications such as kidney failure and heart disease at a young age.
Taken together, the new regulations signal a more assertive approach to tackling the commercial drivers of unhealthy behaviour, embedding prevention more firmly into national health policy and reinforcing the role of regulation alongside clinical care.
