NE suffers highest obesity, as ‘long-overdue’ junk food ad ban delayed

Eating junk food can cause obesity.

New rules limiting the advertising of ‘junk’ foods – high in fat, salt or sugar (HFSS) – could have a major impact in our region, which has the highest obesity rates in the country.

Ministers say the restrictions, which were originally planned to take effect on October 1 but have now been postponed until January 2026 – are an important step to tackle obesity, especially among children.

The new rules are intended to target pre-9pm TV advertising, which can influence children, and bulk-buy (‘two-for-one’) discount offers.

The North East has England’s highest obesity rates for adult (32%) and children (26%), while the overall obesity rate of British adults was 28% by 2021.

Key factors driving obesity include poverty, poor diets, low physical activity, and environments that promote weight gain.

The decision to delay the advertising ban has been widely criticised, including by the British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine (BANT), whose chief executive, Satu Jackson, said it was “irresponsible”.

She added: “Health misinformation and confusion about nutrition is at an all-time high. Measures to protect the public, especially children, from the continual bombardment of ultra-processed food and drink advertising is an intrinsic part of tackling the obesogenic environment we live in.”

Obesity carries serious health consequences, increasing the risk of conditions including heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers. It can also cause breathing issues like sleep apnoea, joint problems such as osteoarthritis, and liver diseases.

In 2014-15 treating obesity-related diseases cost the National Health Service (NHS) £6.1billion.

For many, HFSS foods provide ‘comfort eating’, providing a dopamine boost to consumers. It is thought the need for this ‘comfort’ becomes more pressing during the darker winter months.

There has also been widespread concern that discount offers in supermarkets attract more people to buy junk food, creating more obesity.

Greg Fell, president of the Association of Public Health Directors, said a ban is long overdue.

He added that multi-buy deals don’t save people money, but actually tend to make them spend more by encouraging impulse buys.