Junk food adverts banned on TV and online

Adverts for junk food like, chocolate and pizza, have been banned on TV and online in the UK.

The ban means that children and young people will not see adverts for food and drinks high in fat, salt and sugar on TV before 21:00 and at any time online.

The ban applies to streaming networks and paid for adverts on social media but not to radio or audio only content.

Companies can still show healthier versions of banned products, which the government hopes will lead to food makers developing healthier recipes.

It is part of the governments plan to help tackle childhood obesity, and help people to make healthy eating choices.

The Minister for Health, Ashley Dalton said: "By restricting adverts for junk food before 9pm and banning paid adverts online, we can remove excessive exposure to unhealthy foods - making the healthy choice the easy choice for parents and children."

The Food and Drink Federation (FDF) - a group that represents and advises UK food and drink makers - said it is "committed to working in partnership with the government and others to help people make healthier choices" and has been voluntarily following the new rules since October.

Which food and drink products fall under the ban, is based on a scoring system which looks how much fat, salt and sugar are in them.

As well as things like burgers and sweets, some sugary breakfast cereals, sweetened bread products, and sandwiches are also included.

However, the ban only says that unhealthy food and drink cannot be shown in adverts, meaning that fast-food companies can still show adverts with their name in them.

Companies that do not follow the new rules could get into trouble with the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).

High saturated fat, sugary and salty foods (such as cakes, biscuits, chocolate, crisps) can be eaten occasionally.

The problem is eating too much of these foods can have big health impacts.

According to research by the NHS, nearly one in 10 (9.2%) reception-aged children are now living with obesity, while one in five children have tooth decay by the age of five.

Research has shown that showing adverts to children for unhealthy food can influence what they eat from a young age, in increase their risk of becoming overweight or obese.

According to the World Health Organisation and NHS, obesity is when a person has excess body fat which can become a risk to their health.

The government has said it thinks the advert ban will prevent around 20,000 cases of childhood obesity.

Katharine Jenner, the Executive Director of Obesity Health Alliance, said:

"This is a welcome and long-awaited step towards better protecting children from unhealthy food and drink advertising that can harm their health and wellbeing.

"These new restrictions will help reduce children's exposure to the most problematic adverts and mark real progress towards a healthier food environment."