Yorkshire adults call for junk food tv ad ban

Nearly three-quarters of adults in Yorkshire have backed a ban on junk food advertising before the 9pm television watershed, new figures show.

The YouGov survey published by Cancer Research UK today also shows that 55 per cent of the region’s adults support a tax on sugary drinks, which could help tackle the rising childhood obesity epidemic.

Almost six in 10 underestimated the proportion of overweight or obese adults in the UK according to the survey.

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Being overweight and obese is a major cause of preventable illness and death in the UK, including cancer, type two diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

More than one in five children in Yorkshire and the Humber are overweight or obese when they enter primary school, and alarmingly this increases to one in three in year six.

Nicki Embleton, Cancer Research UK spokesperson for Yorkshire, said: “Junk food is everywhere.

“Children are bombarded by advertising tailored to tempt them with pretty colours and cartoons which all influence the food they prefer.

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“At a time when junk food is cheap and packed with extra calories, we need stronger action to help prevent children from choosing these foods.

“We want the Government to ban junk food adverts on TV before the 9pm watershed, put a tax on sugary drinks and enforce targets for reducing the amount of fat and sugar in food.

“Reducing obesity rates could save the NHS billions of pounds.

“Ultimately, we owe it to future generations to reduce preventable disease caused by being overweight and obese.”