December 23, 2016.
Britons have a particularly high rate of obesity among their children and adolescents. To fight against this scourge, the government has decided to ban advertisements against foods that are too fatty, too salty or too sweet that are aimed at this target.
Junk food ads banned on many UK media
The United Kingdom is determined to fight against childhood obesity and this health campaign will also go through the screens. From July 2017, advertisements for foods deemed too fatty, too salty and too sweet will be banned on television channels, on the Internet, especially on social networks, and in the written media, the Commission on Advertising Practices (CAP) recently reported.
Concretely, all advertisements deemed to encourage the consumption of unhealthy products will be prohibited on all media which are aimed directly at children or adolescents under the age of 16, but also on channels or media where children represent at least 25% of the audience.
UK wants to lower obesity rate
” Childhood obesity is a serious and complex problem and we are committed to playing our part to address it. », Explains James Best, president of the CAP. ” These restrictions will significantly reduce the number of advertisements […] seen by children “.
The UK has one of the highest childhood obesity rates in Europe. In 2014, the health authorities counted 31.2% of children aged 2 to 15 years overweight or obese. This measure should make it possible to reduce this figure and limit the harmful consequences of obesity such as diabetes, hypertension, many types of cancer or even cardiovascular disorders.
To find out more: 1 in 3 children in Europe is obese
