(NewsNation) — The United Kingdom has begun its latest attempt to tackle the childhood obesity crisis facing the country.
A government-enforced ban on junk food ads before 9 p.m. started earlier this week. Under the Advertising Standards Authority rule, products including soft drinks, chocolates and sweets, pizzas and ice creams can no longer be shown on television before 9 p.m. or at any time online.
The government projects the ban will prevent nearly 20,000 cases of childhood obesity.
“Today marks a big, world-leading milestone on the journey to protect children from being exposed to the onslaught of junk food advertising, which is currently so harmful to their health,” said Anna Taylor of the Food Foundation.
Items not banned under the crackdown include plain oats, porridge, muesli and granola. However, versions of those products version that contain added sugar, chocolate or syrup could potentially qualify for the ban.
“Children are highly susceptible to aggressive marketing of unhealthy foods and exposure to them puts them at greater risk of developing obesity and associated chronic diseases,” added University of Hertfordshire’s Katherine Brown.
Health campaigners in 2025 were outraged when the U.K. government decided to allow companies that make junk food to run brand ads with the restriction they did not show an “identifiable” product.
The government’s rules on the ban have been in the pipeline for six years.