Britain bans junk food advertising in a bid to tackle the childhood obesity crisis

In the UK, a law came into force on January 5, 2026, banning the advertising of junk food on television before 9 p.m. and completely on the Internet.

The British government hopes that this will help to cope with the childhood obesity crisis, reports The Guardian.

According to the new rules, 13 specific categories of products, mostly high in fat, sugar and salt, are subject to the advertising ban.

These include sugary soft drinks, salty snacks, confectionery, including chocolate and sweets, ice cream, cakes, sweet biscuits and bars, pastries such as croissants and waffles, sweetened yoghurts, pizza, potato chips and other similar products.

Even some products that are generally considered healthy are banned, including sandwiches of all kinds and breakfast items, including cereals and muesli. However, brand advertising is allowed as long as it does not feature a specific product.

Although the law comes into force now, the British advertising industry has been voluntarily complying with it since October to properly exclude products that violate the government’s complex rules. This has led to the first-ever Christmas TV campaigns, in which puddings and sweets have been replaced with fruit and vegetables.

Tags: fastfood, UK