Home / Health / MPs Demand End to Junk Food Ads Near Schools
MPs Demand End to Junk Food Ads Near Schools
15 Jul
Summary
- Fast food chains should be banned from opening near schools.
- Junk food advertising on billboards and public transport should end.
- UK obesity costs £74bn annually, with two-thirds of adults overweight.
A report from the Commons health committee proposes stringent measures to combat the UK's escalating obesity epidemic, which incurs an annual cost of £74 billion. The cross-party group of MPs argues that hundreds of initiatives implemented since 1992 have failed to curb rising obesity levels, with two-thirds of adults and 28% of 13- to 15-year-olds in England now overweight or obese.
Recommendations include empowering local councils to restrict fast food outlets near schools, as current planning policies contain loopholes exploited by chains like KFC. Furthermore, MPs advocate for a comprehensive ban on advertising foods high in fat, sugar, or salt across all platforms, including billboards, buses, and trains, to reduce constant exposure to unhealthy food promotions.
