Healthier Food Advertising Policy Toolkit

Advertising for unhealthy foods and drinks has long been associated with poor public health, in particular, child obesity and health inequalities. Local government have been calling for powers for several years to shift the balance in what is advertised. Now with the establishment of local Healthier Food Advertising Policies, first launched by the Mayor of London across the Transport for London network in February 2019, local areas have a tried and tested policy to hold industry to account and protect their communities.

This toolkit draws on Sustain's wealth of experience to guide local authorities through the process from initial explorations to implementation including:

• Step by step guide, explaining the processes in detail
• Case studies from each of the local governments that have implemented a policy, as well as those working towards signing a policy off
• How to build the case for a local policy including references to academic papers and other local governments' council papers
• Detailed explanation of the policy process including example Nutrient Profiling Model questions
• Challenges to the policy and how to overcome them

Sustain advised the Mayor of London’s team on the writing and implementation of the Healthier Food Advertising Policy and has subsequently supported local authorities up and down the country with bringing in their own policies, including five who have successfully implemented the policy: Bristol, Greenwich, Haringey, Merton and Southwark.