UK to ban junk food advertising online and on daytime TV in fight against childhood obesitya measure that was in the Labour Party’s election programme.
Three in five children in Britain are overweight or obese
The implementation of this measure, which was part of the Labour programme for the elections they won in July, is scheduled for October 1, 2025the government confirmed on Thursday. This announcement comes after the Prime Minister Keir Starmer will announce his intention to reform the public health systemin serious crisis, placing greater emphasis on prevention.
This measure “will help protect children from advertising of less healthy foods and drinks, as data shows that it influences their food preferences from a very young age,” said Starmer, in a country where State intervention in these issues is often criticized. like a intrusion into private life.
Specifically, the government plans to ban advertising for Overly fatty, sweet or salty foods before 9:00 p.m. on television and on the Internet. In turn, the Labor government plans other measures aimed at strengthening health prevention, such as the ban on energy drinks for children under 16 years of age.
Argentina has the highest percentage of childhood obesity in the region
The need for action to promote healthy diets and prevent childhood overweight is widely supported by global mandates, including the Sustainable Development Goals, the Rome Declaration on Nutrition, the UN Decade of Action on Nutrition 2016–2025, several UN General Assembly resolutions, World Health Assembly (WHA) statements and relevant documents on the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases.
The establishment and subsequent recommendations of the Commission to End Childhood Obesity elevated the prevention of childhood overweight and obesity to the status of an urgent priority.
More than 6% of school-age children are obese
According to the Ministry of Health of Argentina, more than 6% of school-aged children are obese. The UN estimates that by 2025, some 167 million people will suffer from poorer health due to being overweight or obese. Obesity is growing steadily and already affects 650 million adults, 340 million adolescents and 39 million children worldwide.
Childhood obesity: experts share concern and call for greater commitment
“As an obese child, I was bullied, went through a million ridiculous diets and treatments, and even tried hypnosis,” Inti David says that despite being a vegetarian from birth by her parents’ decision, she was diagnosed with childhood obesity at the age of 6.
“Associating vegetarianism with healthy habits and slimness is a myth. It is very common for people who decide to follow a meat-free diet to replace it with more cereals without changing their diet much from day to day., declared Paula Vignoloa nutritionist specializing in vegetarianism. In her office she sees many patients who have stopped eating meat for different reasons. “It is essential to consult a professional to achieve a varied diet and thus have all the necessary nutrients, although a Vitamin B12 supplement is always recommended, especially for pregnant women and children,” said the specialist.
Inti David, author of “Veggies al poder” (Penguin Publishing), is an amateur cook and creator of the community with the same name. For the last five years she has dedicated herself to sharing her healthy lifestyle based on a vegetarian diet, showing her own mental and physical changes, as she managed to lose 90 kilos in the process.
Inti reviews his childhood since he was 6 years old when he was diagnosed “morbid obesity” being a veggie from birth, which shows that vegetarianism does not imply a healthy life and proper nutrition.
That’s why Inti helps raise awareness about eating disorders through her own experience.
Source: Ambito
