‘Inappropriate for British children’ means Junk food advertisements

Ice cream, croissants, soft drinks, even breakfast cereals with added sugars: they are the over-processed foods for which Britain prohibits advertising on television and on the Internet, in an attempt to address childhood obesity.

Nearly one out of ten children of four years in Britain is obese, while at the age of five nearly one in five children suffer from caries due to over-consumption of sugar. And according to the National Health System, the problem is getting bigger and bigger. The ban on junk food advertising on television by 9 p.m. and on the Internet 24/7 was originally announced in September and is due to enter into force on 1 October 2025. It concerns foods considered ‘less healthy’ on the basis of an assessment system taking into account the salt, fat, sugar and protein content.

Biscuits, hamburgers, yoghurt desserts, and even sugar-containing musli, are included in the final list presented by the government, which met reactions from a portion of the press and public opinion that spoke of “state-danda”. However, the Labour Government estimates that the measure will prevent 20,000 cases of child obesity per year. Other restrictions are also designed for the future, such as the ban on ‘energy drinks’ in the under 16 years.