Junk food TV adverts before 9pm banned
Ministers sign off plan that aims to fight rising levels of childhood obesity
Junk food television adverts will be banned before 9pm in a bid to tackle childhood obesity under government plans, The Daily Telegraph has learnt. Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary, is poised to announce a consultation on a watershed amid concerns that adverts are “shaping” preferences for junk food “from a young age”. Ministers have warned that, despite restrictions, children are still being exposed to “significant amounts” of advertising for products high in fat, salt or sugar.
JUNK food television adverts will be banned before 9pm in a bid to tackle childhood obesity under new Government plans, The Daily Telegraph has learnt.
Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary, is poised to announce a consultation on a watershed amid concerns that adverts are “shaping” preferences for junk food “from a young age”.
Ministers have warned that, despite restrictions on advertising around children’s television programmes, children are still being exposed to “significant amounts” of advertising for products that are high in fat, salt or sugar.
The Government will also consult on whether radio stations and the internet should be subject to further restrictions “to ensure we are being proportionate”.
The plans, which were signed off by ministers last week, have been opposed by broadcasters amid concerns that they will see advertising revenues diverted to online companies.
Health chiefs have repeatedly called on the Government to act amid concerns that television adverts for unhealthy food are driving up levels of obesity.
While junk food adverts during children’s programmes have been banned since 2007, children spend 64 per cent of their viewing time watching shows not specifically aimed at them. A recent study found that half of food and drink adverts seen by children are for products that are high in fat, sugar or salt.
Last year, Cancer Research UK said that watching one extra junk food advert a week means children eat an additional 18,000 calories a year.
The study showed the additional consumption is the equivalent of around 70 Mars bars or 60 cheeseburgers – and could amount to a 5lb weight gain annually.
The charity is among those that have been calling for advertising of unhealthy foods to be banned before the 9pm watershed.
Research by the Obesity Health Alliance found that junk food companies in the UK spend £143million a year on advertising – almost 30 times the £5 million spent annually by Government on healthy eating campaigns.
However, broadcasters warn that a watershed ban risks permanent damage to their industry.
A coalition of television companies including ITV, Sky and Viacom, the owner of Channel 5, has been fighting the move. They believe they are an easy target compared with Facebook and Google, which also carry advertising for junk food.
A pre-watershed ban could be achieved by changing existing rules, which would not require new laws. By contrast, the internet is unregulated and change would need legislation.
Data from Ofcom show that children aged four to 15 are spending 43 per cent less time watching broadcast television than in 2010, while obesity has continued to increase. Meanwhile, internet usage has risen 44 per cent to 4.7 hours per week, as social media and Youtube account for a rising share of children’s entertainment.