Britain to ban fast food ads before 9 PM starting fall 2025

The British do not want junk food ads to be allowed on television. They treat them like other addictive substances, whose advertisements can only be shown in the late-night slot. Regulations are to come into effect in fall 2025. Could such a project also work here?

The British government confirmed: The ban on showing fast food ads on television before 9:00 PM will come into effect on October 1, 2025.

Commercials for well-known chains with unhealthy food will be treated like other addictive substances, and there will be no place for them in the advertising slot or online. This is another step by the British in the fight against the childhood obesity epidemic.

This is a conservative idea. Such solutions were announced back in 2021 when Boris Johnson was prime minister, but according to the BBC, it was postponed to give the industry more time to prepare.

These restrictions will help protect children from exposure to less healthy food and beverage advertisements, which, as evidence shows, influence their dietary preferences from an early age – said Health Minister Andrew Gwynne before the House of Commons on Thursday.

The British government published its response to the 2022 consultations; the project defined the products, businesses, and services covered by the restrictions.

More than one in five children in England is overweight or obese before starting primary school, and this number rises to more than one-third by the time they leave school – explained the British Health Minister

And how does it look in Canada? According to data from January 2024, over 25% of children aged 3 years have an abnormal body mass, and about 30% of 8-year-olds are obese or overweight.