Children will see less unhealthy food ads this week as advertisers are a voluntary prohibition by advertisers before total repression in January.
The measure to address childhood obesity will stop the “less healthy” food and drinks that have a large fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) that appear on television between 5.30 am and 9 pm, and online at any time.
The prohibition applies to the products that are within 13 categories considered to play the most important role in childhood obesity, including soft drinks, chocolates and sweets, pizzas and ice cream, but also cereals and breakfast airplanes, sweetened bread products and main meals and sandwiches.
The products that enter into these categories are evaluated in terms of whether they are “less healthy” depending on a punctuation tool that considers their nutrient levels and if the products are high in saturated fats, salt or sugar.
Only products that meet the two criteria are included in restrictions.
Companies can still announce healthier versions of the products included in the ban, which the Government said it hoped would encourage the food industry to change their recipes.
The government emphasized that ads for smooth porridge oatmeal and most gachas, Sumbli and Granola would not be prohibited under the new rules, but some less healthy versions with sugar, chocolate or added syrup could be affected.
Restrictions will only apply to ads where products considered are not healthy can be identified by spectators, which means that companies can still announce brands.
Currently, HFSS products should not be announced through any means when more than 25% of the audience is under 16 years.
The latest figures suggest that one in 10 children reception is now obese, while one in five children suffers from teeth tooth at the age of five.
It is estimated that obesity costs NHS more than £ 11 billion every year.
The evidence shows that children's exposure to unhealthy food ads can influence what they eat from an early age, which in turn puts children an increased risk of having overweight or obesity.
The Government has said that the advertising prohibition will avoid around 20,000 cases of childhood obesity.
A spokesman for the Department of Health and Social Care said: “Obesity steals children from the best possible start in life, prepares them for a lifetime of health problems and costs the billions of the NHS.
“This government is taking measures to end the orientation of junk food ads in children, both on television and online.
“This is a crucial step to offer an important change in the medical care approach from the disease to prevention, and to comply with the government's ambition to give each child a healthy and happy beginning of life.”
