New regulations come into force Monday (January 5, 2026) in Britain banning daytime TV and online adverts for so-called junk foods, in what the government calls a "world-leading action" to tackle childhood obesity.
The ban — targeting ads for products high in fat, salt or sugar — is expected to remove up to 7.2 billion calories from children's diets each year, according to the Health Ministry.
Impacting ads airing before the 9 p.m. watershed and anytime online, it will reduce the number of children living with obesity by 20,000 and deliver around £2 billion ($2.7 billion) in health benefits, the Ministry added.
The implementation of the measure — first announced in December 2024 — follows other recent steps, including an extended sugar tax on pre-packaged items like milkshakes, ready-to-go coffees and sweetened yoghurt drinks.
Local authorities have also been given the power to stop fast food shops setting up outside schools.
