Government to announce limits to promotions on “junk food”

The media is reporting that Boris Johnson’s government will announce measures to tackle obesity in Britain in July by targeting the sale and promotion of junk food.

Britain is Europe’s second fattest nation after Malta, and there is speculation that the nations’ obesity crisis contributed to a worse than average impact of Covid-19 on the population, with the PM citing this as a reason for urgent action.

It is expected that the first step will be a ban on supermarket promotions for junk food, including Buy One Get One Free and multibuys, end of aisle and point of sale promotions. It is thought that the touted ban on pre-watershed advertising of junk foods will be shelved for now, with the government being unconvinced of it’s effectiveness.

The moves will line up with a campaign that aims to persuade people to maintain outdoor exercise habits forged in lockdown as the government looks to capitalise on what is being seen as a ‘reset moment’ for Britain’s public health outlook.

No timeline has been announced for the policies and there is no concrete detail yet on which foods are covered by this move, though announcements are expected in July. More updates to follow.