Great Britain bans junk food advertising on TV and online
Since January 5, strict rules for advertising unhealthy foods have been in effect in Great Britain. The ban aims to protect children and combat obesity.
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In Great Britain, a comprehensive ban on advertising unhealthy foods came into effect on January 5, 2026. The new regulations prohibit advertising for products high in fat, salt, or sugar (HFSS products) on television before 9 PM and generally across all paid online advertising formats. As Euractiv reports, this is intended to protect children from unhealthy foods. The regulation is part of a broader strategy by the British National Health Service (NHS) to prevent obesity and related diseases.
The British government expects significant health benefits from the advertising ban. The number of overweight children could decrease by 20,000. This would result in long-term health benefits, which the government estimates at approximately 2 billion British pounds, equivalent to around 2.3 billion euros.
Around 22 percent of children are already overweight or obese upon starting school at about five years old. This figure rises to over 33 percent by the transition to secondary school at age eleven. Tooth decay is already the primary reason for hospital stays among children aged five to nine.
Supplementary Measures Against Obesity
The advertising ban is not a standalone measure. The British government is also expanding the sugar tax, introduced in 2018, to pre-packaged products such as milkshakes, coffee-to-go drinks, and sweetened yogurt drinks. The original sugar tax on soft drinks had already shown measurable success: sugar consumption in such drinks among children halved since its introduction. Furthermore, local authorities will be able to ban fast-food outlets near schools in the future.
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Despite general agreement, health experts criticize weaknesses in the implementation. Chris Macey from the Irish Heart Foundation pointed out that the regulation does not address the growing problem of influencer marketing.
The advertising ban was originally announced for 2023 but was repeatedly delayed. Industry lobbying led to the criticized dilutions. Nevertheless, the British regulation is considered internationally as one of the strictest approaches in the fight against unhealthy diets among children.
Germany Lags Behind
Similar initiatives are stalled in Germany. Nutrition Minister Cem Özdemir presented plans in 2023 to ban advertising for HFSS products to children under 14 on social media and within 100 meters of schools between 6 AM and 11 PM. Only Schleswig-Holstein is taking a proactive step: Minister-President Daniel Günther announced that he would introduce a sugar tax based on the British model in the Bundesrat in 2026.
(mki)
