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[00:00.41] Since TV advertising began, there has always been food adverts aimed at children.

[00:07.05] Yes, sweets, chocolate, ice cream.

[00:08.91] But that may be about to change.

[00:12.89] We're looking at the UK's radical plans for advertising of junk food for children.

[00:20.07] There's growing concern, isn't there, Richard, that children's health is being negatively affected by how food products are marketed to children.

[00:30.16] Yes, in the UK, the government have estimated that children under the age of 16 are exposed to billions of food adverts online every year.

[00:40.52] But now the government's decided to do something about it.

[00:42.91] They plan to ban all junk food adverts on TV before nine o'clock in the evening and at total ban online.

[00:52.21] The total ban online.

[00:53.80] This is not just for children, is it?

[00:55.93] No, because online advertisers aren't able to effectively identify which users are children and which are adults.

[01:04.69] So restricting all advertising is the best way to ensure that children aren't exposed to and harmed by highly influential but unhealthy food adverts.

[01:16.91] Now, they say that if implemented, the ban would affect ads on Facebook, Google, social media activity.

[01:24.35] I mean, we're talking Twitter and Instagram.

[01:27.53] How on earth are they going to do that?

[01:29.93] I have absolutely no idea.

[01:32.32] What are they talking about?

[01:33.91] They're talking about products like burgers, meat pizzas, ice cream, chocolate, crisps.

[01:41.61] All of these products won't be able to be advertised online.

[01:46.13] It may not come as a great surprise to you, but the number one advertising company in the UK is McDonald's and they spend over £85 million on advertising every year.

[02:01.80] So why are they doing it, Richard?

[02:03.93] What's this big thing now? Well, let's face facts.

[02:07.64] Britain is the second fattest European nation and obesity is thought to be a factor that could have worsened the country's death toll during the pandemic.

[02:18.00] Yeah. Research has shown that one in three children leaving primary school are overweight or obese.

[02:25.97] That's a third of 11-year-olds.

[02:27.04] That's terrible, isn't it?

[02:28.89] And obese children, I think they're five times more likely to remain obese into adulthood. Yeah.

[02:35.80] Now, we mentioned how much McDonald's spends on their advertising, right?

[02:40.32] Now, compare that to the government's healthy eating campaign. What's the budget for that?

[02:46.43] £5.2 million.

[02:48.29] And then on top of that, the NHS spends an estimated £38 million a year on weight loss surgery.

[02:57.85] Yes, but wait for it.

[02:59.17] It's a further £5.1 billion a year on treating obesity-related conditions such as diabetes, which is really increasing.

[03:09.27] I think the interesting thing though, Richard, is why has Boris Johnson really taken these companies to task now?

[03:17.77] Well, in 2020, a number of UK ministers got Covid but only the Prime Minister.

[03:25.47] He was the only one who was seriously ill and needed to go into intensive care.

[03:29.99] He admitted himself he was too fat and he thought his weight was a factor in why he became so ill.

[03:37.43] So there we go, Richard.

[03:39.29] No more chocolate adverts on the telly.