High obesity town in council building junk food ad ban

Luton Council said no adverts showing unhealthy foods will appear on its property

A town which has seen a rise in childhood obesity is to ban ads for unhealthy food from most of its council-owned property.

Luton Council said no adverts that include items high in fat, salt and sugar, will appear on its billboards, lampposts, screens or roundabouts.

The move was to "protect children and adults", the authority said.

Labour councillor Khtija Malik, the portfolio holder for public health, said it was a "start" in the bit to reduce the town's "high rates of obesity among young children".

"It's really important that you start building some of these habits earlier on and advertising has quite a lot of impact on how people chose what they want to eat", Ms Malik said.

"It's a first step in banning them on our billboards and advertising platforms."

Unhealthy food adverts might still appear on bus shelters, the council warned, as the current advertising contract for those will run until 2027.

She added that as the council has "control of our assets" it would control "what is advertised".

No unhealthy adverts will appear on screen on the Town Hall, Khtija Malik said

The council said: "The latest data from the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) indicate that in Luton 11.4% of reception age children (four to five years old) and 29.2% of children at age 10-11 (Year 6) were obese compared to national rates of 10.1% and 23.4% respectively."

Fran Bernhardt, children’s food campaign coordinator, Sustain, said: "Luton Council has stood up to the food and drinks industry on behalf of all their residents.

"We know that those living in the most deprived areas are most affected by unhealthy food advertising, and most at risk from diet related diseases."