Junk Food TV Ads to Be Banned From April

According to the news and information website 24dash.com, the regulations from the Federal Office of Communication (Ofcom), the United Kingdom's (UK's) media watchdog, on food advertising and children are now fully implemented as of April 2008. In their 2007 announcement banning television commercials that promote unhealthy food and drinks during programmes for children, they first focused on programming for children aged 10 and under, and, then extended the ban to programming for children and youth aged 16 and under. In a bid to reduce childhood obesity, beginning in April 2007, advertising for products categorised as "junk food", which would particularly appeal to children, could not be shown in or around programmes for those under the age of 10; and beginning in January of 2008, the restrictions were expanded to programming for those under the age of 16.


The restrictions apply to food and drink products which are assessed as being high in fat, salt, and sugar (HFSS) by the UK Food Standards Agency. Not only do they apply to programming, but they apply to advertising content, also. Celebrities and characters, such as cartoon favourites, will be banned from promoting junk foods in advertising to children. The new content rules also include a ban on promotional offers and health claims in HFSS product advertising.

According to UK member of parliament Richard Young-Ross, "20% of children are overweight.... There are still too many kids who don’t continue playing any sport after they leave school. If current trends continue, three million young people will have dropped sport altogether before the 2012 Olympics." To combat obesity in children, according to MP YOung-Ross, there must be behaviour change in both children and in the food industry.