Hounslow Council Moves to Ban Unhealthy Food Ads

No promotion to be allowed on sites it controls

Food deemed to be unhealthy will no longer be promoted. Picture: Impact on Urban Health

November 19, 2024

A recent meeting of Hounslow Council’s cabinet has decided that ads for food and drink deemed to be unhealthy will no longer be accepted.

The ban includes advertising sites controlled by the council and will cover products which are high in fat, salt and sugar as well as formula milk. The aim is to support the borough’s Healthier Hounslow strategy.

The council currently makes around £250,000 from its advertising and about 26% of revenue comes from food and drink related businesses. The report recommending the ban was unable to specify how much existing advertising was from clients whose products would be covered by the ban, but it was assumed that the impact would be minimal as similar bans by Transport for London and other local authorities had not significantly reduced their income.

In 2021/22, Hounslow had the fourth highest level of adult obesity in London with 61.7% classified as overweight or obese. In 2022/23, 18.5% of children in Reception (4-5 years) were overweight or obese, rising to 40.7% in Year 6 (10-11 years) the fifth highest level in London. These levels have meant that the 300 places a year for children and 150 for adults in weight management programmes are insufficient to cope with demand and the council report admits meeting the current level of need would be unaffordable. The borough also has the fifth highest percentage of five-year-olds with visible tooth decay.

The council says that advertising policy is part of a range of initiatives that are being implemented across the borough aiming to help make the healthier choice the easier one; recognising that there is no one single solution to address food related ill health such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, tooth decay and heart disease.

Councillor Lily Bath, Hounslow Council’s Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, Public Health and Transformation, said, “The policy demonstrates the Council’s commitment to creating a healthier and more equal Hounslow. It is an important step in reducing health inequalities and creating healthy environments in which all our residents can thrive.”

Fran Bernhardt, Sustain’s Commercial Determinants Coordinator, said, “We’re delighted to have worked with Hounslow Council to become the first to take action on both commercial baby foods and unhealthy foods and drinks. This is recommended by WHO to prioritise children's health.

"There are now 21 English Councils, plus the Transport for London network, which have introduced robust policies designed by Sustain. This growing movement sends a message to the national Government to deliver on their pledges to restrict advertising on TV and online, and further focus on outdoor and radio to set the stage for healthier food across our communities”

Hounslow became the first Council in the UK to introduce restrictions on the promotion of commercial baby foods. The policy will also restrict the advertising of follow-on formula, growing up and toddler milks, which official government guidance says are not needed for child nutrition (NHS, SACN). These restrictions aim to protect infants and children from excess free sugars.

Dr Vicky Sibson, Director, First Steps Nutrition Trust, said, “This groundbreaking action from Hounslow - strengthening their local food advertising policy to protect our babies and young children- should be widely applauded. In the absence of meaningful regulations on nutrition composition and marketing, the vast majority of pouches, jars and packets on the baby food aisle are not healthy choices for young children, even though companies would have you believe they are.

"Infant formula is an essential food for young babies who are not breastfed, or who are only partially breastfed, but formula advertising is not needed and is known to confuse parents. It is especially problematic when it focuses on sugar-filled, unnecessary and unregulated products like ‘growing-up’ milks and drinks.

"We hope other local authorities will follow Hounslow’s lead to help reduce unhelpful commercial influence on parents and carers trying to make good choices on what to feed their babies and toddlers.”