Sharon Hodgson MP, Labour’s Shadow Minister for Public Health, responding to the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) announcement on the banning of high-fat, sugar and salt advertising on children’s media, said:
“Childhood obesity is one of the biggest public health issues facing our country right now. With children and young people spending on average 15 hours a week watching content online, where they are exposed to many junk food adverts and pop-ups, it is important that we get to grips with what they are seeing on their screens.
“Today’s announcement brings us one step closer to applying important measures to help reduce childhood obesity: however, there are still questions about how this will be done and whether it goes far enough.
“The Tories have dragged their heels when it comes to taking action to tackle childhood obesity, and watered down ambitious proposals when they published their long awaited Childhood Obesity Plan in the summer. We urge the Government to take inspiration from this announcement and get to task implementing the Childhood Obesity Plan. Children deserve the best start in life; we cannot allow this moment to be squandered.”
ENDS