No more advertisements for chips before 9 p.m. The British government wants to fight the plague of obesity

From Monday, the UK has a ban on advertising junk food before 9 p.m. The aim is to protect children from products high in fat, salt and sugar, which are considered the most important cause of childhood obesity.

The advertising ban covers not only sweets and carbonated drinks, but also certain types of breakfast cereals, sweetened bread and ready-made meals containing large amounts of saturated fat, salt or sugar – emphasized the BBC website.

Companies could still promote healthier versions of products during higher viewing times. The government hopes that this will encourage food producers to develop healthier recipes and hopes that the new regulations will prevent approximately 20,000 deaths. cases of obesity in children.

The ban only covers advertisements in which viewers may see unhealthy products.

In the UK, almost one in ten pre-school children is obese, and one in five children has tooth decay. It is estimated that obesity costs the British health service over £11 billion a year – emphasized the BBC.

Research shows that children watching unhealthy food advertisements can influence their diet from an early age. This increases their risk of being overweight or obese. According to Professor Katherine Brown from the University of Hertfordshire, children are very susceptible to aggressive marketing activities promoting unhealthy food.

The Food and Drink Federation (FDF) said manufacturers were “committed to working with government and others to help people make healthier choices.” She also assured that the industry is developing healthier products, so its products now contain a third less salt and sugar and a quarter less calories than a decade ago. (PAP)

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