Government guts childhood obesity policy despite expert warnings

The policy, first promised in 2020 as a measure to champion children's health by reducing exposure to unhealthy food advertising on TV and online, now has major loopholes. These will allow entire ranges of sugary snacks and drinks to continue to advertise online and on TV.

Under the new rules:

• Adverts for unhealthy food brands will be allowed. This means companies can continue to advertise, even if their products are high in fat, salt, or sugar. Unhealthy foods can be promoted to children on TV and online by focussing advertisements on branding and logos, as long as the product itself isn’t shown.
• Whole product ranges will be treated as ‘brands’. An entire range of - for example - ice creams or confectionery items can be promoted, since any group of products with more than one flavour or type will be considered ‘brands’.
• Images of non-specific unhealthy foods can appear in advertising, such as unbranded sugary drinks, unidentifiable sweets or chocolate bars without packaging.

This decision marks a significant retreat from the Government’s original childhood obesity strategy which promised to restrict unhealthy food advertising online and on TV by 2022. After five years of delays, consultations and policy rewrites, and the latest consultation in July 2025, the final rules have been weakened substantially. Campaigners now fear they will have little impact and that industry interference has played a decisive role in watering down the policy.

In the UK, 24 local governments, including the Mayor of London, have introduced robust healthier food advertising policies which successfully restrict adverts for unhealthy foods and drinks. These policies have proven to reduce cases of food related ill health such as obesity, type two diabetes and heart disease, especially for those living in the most deprived areas – with the Transport for London policy estimated to save the NHS over £200 million. None include the loopholes adopted by national government.

Fran Bernhardt, Commercial Determinants Coordinator at Sustain, the alliance for better food and farming said:

"This Government pledged to raise the healthiest generation of children ever and yet they've ignored the evidence, instead pursuing a policy that essentially enables business as usual. They've not only scuppered the opportunity to set the stage for healthier food, they've written something so weak that it incentivises industry to develop more unhealthy products. Industry will be celebrating another ruined health policy, while the UK's children have been let down once again.

But it doesn't have to be this way. We know what good looks like, we have the evidence of impact. Now we just need a government with the bravery to follow through with their convictions to champion our children's health."