Derby food charity weighing in on ban to stop junk food adverts on TV
The government's ban of junk food adverts officially comes into place in January
A charity tackling food poverty in Derby are telling us they have mixed feelings over the introduction of a ban on fast food ads before nine pm.
The ban comes into place officially in January but voluntary restriction are being introduced today, which will see junk food adverts removed from screens before the 9pm watershed.
It's in a bid to reduce children's exposure to unhealthy food advertising to help tackle rising rates of childhood obesity.
Paul Brookhouse is the Senior Manager of the Derby food 4 thought alliance:
"We have to remember, in moderation, these items are okay. I think what we have to try and support and help people with is understand, having this as your staple way of actually feeding isn't helpful, especially when it comes to a child's development, their education and all the impact on that side.
"We've got into that world of convenience now, a £3 pizza in the oven and takeaways lining the streets and I think there's also the factors of cost, you know the price of food has gone up and people are struggling. We have to actually show people that in half an hour you actually can make a nutritious meal."
Paul added that he believes this initiative should be more centred around eduaction:
"Whilst we recognise we all enjoy junk food, and that's great in moderation, as parents and families to give the best to a child, we need to look for the alternatives, those healthier options and if you don't know what those are or can't cook - don't be embarrassed, just reach out for support."
You can find out more about the Derby Food for Thought Alliance on their website.
The government say 7.2 billion calories per year are expected to be removed from UK children’s diets as a result of the measures, preventing an estimated 20,000 cases of childhood obesity.
The latest data published by the NHS shows 22.1% of children in Year 6 (aged 10 to 11) in England were obese in 2023/24, down from 22.7% in 2022/23.
Despite falling for the third year in a row, the figure is still higher than the years before the pandemic.