Junk food adverts banned from York council billboards and bus shelters

York's director of public health said his main concern was for children's health and well-being

Adverts for unhealthy food are to be banned from council-owned bus shelters and billboards in York to help tackle rising rates of childhood obesity.

Restrictions on promoting high fat, sugar and salt foods were agreed by City of York Council as part of changes to its advertising policy.

The move was intended to "support people to achieve and maintain a healthy weight" a meeting was told.

The council say about one in three 11-year-olds are obese or overweight.

The ban, which was unanimously agreed by the authority's executive on Thursday, will also include adverts displayed on all council-owned land such as roundabouts and car parks.

Peter Roderick, the authority's director of public health, said there was a rising number of people in the city "not of healthy weight".

He said: "My concern is for our children's health and wellbeing above all and thinking about their susceptibility to marketing and advertising which is clear from the scientific evidence".

A report by the council said the number of children in the city living with an unhealthy weight has been increasing.

It said: "In 2007-08, 29.8% of year six children were overweight or obese, and the most recent data in 2022-23 shows that has risen to 32.5%.

"Approximately one in four reception-aged children, one in three year six children and two in three adults in York are not living with a healthy weight."

Mr Roderick said that 13 other local authorities had already implemented the same kind of ban, including adverts across the Transport for London (TfL) network.

He said the TfL ban had had a "huge impact" in the capital and contributed to a calorie reduction for many households.

Similar bans have already been introduced by Sheffield City Council and Barnsley Council.