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JUNK food adverts are to be banned from some of the most popular television programmes in an attempt to halt child obesity.

Shows watched by large numbers of children and young teenagers — from tea-time programmes to Hollyoaks, The Simpsons and Friends — are to be subject to the new rules.

Ofcom, the communications regulator, said that the advertising of products high in fat, salt and sugar would be banned in all children’s programming. The ban will extend to any show in which the proportion of children viewing is 20 per cent more than the average.

Coronation Street — Britain’s most watched programme, which is sponsored by Cadbury’s — will not be affected but The X-Factor is borderline, and Ofcom is anticipating that it would be subject to the restrictions.

There were warnings that the loss of advertising could lead to the loss of children’s programming. Jane Lighting, chief executive of Five, the channel behind the Milkshake! children’s shows, said that “the long-term future of UK-produced children’s programming outside the BBC is bleak”. Commercial broadcasters spend about £40 million a year on children’s programming, a sum almost wiped out by the costs of the ban.

And there is only limited evidence that junk food advertising has any impact on obesity. Commercials have only a 2 per cent influence on food preference, according to Ofcom’s own statistics. However, Ed Richards, chief executive of Ofcom, said that action was justfied because “television has a meaningful indirect effect” on children’s lifestyles.

Health professionals and anti-obesity campaigners said yesterday that the recommendations did not go far enough and called for a ban on all junk food adverts shown before 9pm. Vivienne Nathanson, of the British Medical Association, asked: “Isn’t the health of our children more important than advertising revenues?”

Philip Cullum, deputy chief executive of the National Consumer Council, said: “These proposals don’t get to the heart of the problem. Seventy per cent of children’s viewing time is outside children’s airtime and Ofcom’s proposed ban won’t catch programmes that are very popular with under-16s.”

Ofcom originally considered a ban aimed at under-9s only, but extended it to under-16s, suddenly bringing MTV into the list of affected channels.

The regulator produced figures to show that a total ban on all junk food advertising would cost ITV, Channel 4 and other commercial broadcasters £263 million in the first year, falling to £211 million thereafter. Under Ofcom’s planned ban, the cost is £39 million in the first year, dropping to £23 million over time.

If the ban works, under-16s would see 41 per cent fewer food and drink advertisements, and the under-9s 51 per cent fewer.

Soap operas escape the ban because they are not disproportionately watched by youngsters. Nine adults watch Coronation Street for every child that tunes in.

HOW THE BAN WILL HIT ADULT PROGRAMMES

Children under 16 make up 11 per cent of all viewers

AFFECTED

The Simpsons (Channel 4, Sky One) — child audience 32 per cent
Pimp My Ride (Five, MTV) — 20 per cent
Hollyoaks (Channel 4) — 16 per cent
Lost (Channel 4, Sunday edition) — 17 per cent
Make Me A Supermodel (Five) — 16 per cent

BORDERLINE

Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway (ITV1) — 13 per cent
The X-Factor (ITV1) — 12 per cent
Two and a Half Men (Five) — 12 per cent

UNAFFECTED

Coronation Street (ITV1) — 9 per cent
Emmerdale (ITV1) — 9 per cent
The Bill (ITV1) — 9 per cent
Deal or No Deal (Channel 4) — 8 per cent
Who Wants to be a Millionaire? — (ITV1) — 8 per cent
Home and Away (Five) — 8 per cent
Paul O’Grady Show (Channel 4) — 6 per cent
ITV Evening News (ITV1) — 3 per cent

CHANNELS AFFECTED:

CiTV, Nickelodeon, Nick Junior, MTV, VH1, The Hits.

Source: Carat

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