{
  "$type": "site.standard.document",
  "bskyPostRef": {
    "cid": "bafyreicb5q45bwyuxppgj4dycfcaark66m2douhmunxjek6tmk2vkutqba",
    "uri": "at://did:plc:un2lzg6nh3otxfyccsfa7g3c/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhz6avbjwie2"
  },
  "coverImage": {
    "$type": "blob",
    "ref": {
      "$link": "bafkreihmo2nqpqpekzbdbjhb65aa3c34wlegssyrh6mi2uozrhh37bk4vi"
    },
    "mimeType": "image/png",
    "size": 16834
  },
  "path": "/2026/03/26/why-we-are-taking-action-on-less-healthy-food-and-drink/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-03-26T14:23:20.000Z",
  "site": "https://healthmedia.blog.gov.uk",
  "textContent": "  * Free sugars – sugars added to food or released through processing – are more damaging to health than sugars found naturally in whole fruit, vegetables and dairy. Children are currently consuming **around twice the recommended level of free sugars** , contributing to tooth decay being the leading cause of hospital admissions for five‑ to nine‑year‑olds, and rising rates of obesity.\n  * More than **one in five children leave primary school obese and with tooth decay** , increasing their risk of lifelong conditions such as type‑2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and some cancers. Obesity alone is estimated to cost the NHS **over £9 billion a year**.\n  * There is no single solution to obesity, but evidence shows that **diet is shaped by what children see, where food is placed, and how it is promoted**. Advertising, price and location promotions for unhealthy products influence children’s preferences and purchases from a young age. Many high‑sugar products are also marketed as healthier than they really are, which can mislead parents.\n  * That is why we are consulting on **strengthening advertising and promotions restrictions** on ‘less healthy’ food and drink. We estimate this could prevent **up to 110,000 cases of childhood obesity** and **around 1,700 cases of childhood asthma** , helping give children the healthiest possible start in life.\n\n\n\n### **What is already in place**\n\n  * Current restrictions ban advertising ‘less healthy’ food and drink on TV between **5.30am and 9pm** and paid‑for online advertising at any time, removing an estimated **7.2 billion calories** from children’s diets each year. Promotions restrictions also ban volume price offers and prominent placement in locations such as checkouts and aisle ends, leading to **2 million fewer ‘less healthy’ products sold each day**.\n  * Businesses can still advertise healthier alternatives, and we are encouraging reformulation. This sits alongside wider action, including the **Soft Drinks Industry Levy** , banning the sale of high‑caffeine energy drinks to under‑16s, supervised toothbrushing for young children, and expanded **free school breakfast clubs** and **Healthy Start support**.\n\n\n\n### **What we are proposing**\n\n  * The current system is based on a **nutrient profiling model more than 20 years old** , which does not reflect modern dietary advice.\n  * Since 2015, guidance has been clear that children should eat **less free sugar and more fibre**. The updated model reflects this and better balances beneficial nutrients against salt, sugar and saturated fat.\n  * We are consulting on applying this updated model to existing restrictions. This would bring more products of concern into scope, including some **sweetened cereals and fruit yoghurts marketed to children** , helping parents make more informed choices and reducing children’s exposure to misleading marketing.\n\n\n\n### **The evidence**\n\n  * Advertising and promotions restrictions are designed to reduce children’s exposure to ‘less healthy’ products. Evidence shows this exposure shapes eating habits from a young age and increases the risk of obesity, which is a major driver of ill health in later life.\n\n\n  * We estimate that applying the updated model could reduce **childhood obesity by over 110,000 cases** , **adult obesity by almost 520,000 cases** , and deliver **long‑term health benefits worth around £27 billion**.\n\n",
  "title": "Why we are taking action on ‘less healthy’ food and drink",
  "updatedAt": "2026-03-26T14:23:29.000Z"
}