Healthier Food Advertising

Sustain has published a toolkit which serves as a guide for local government to restrict unhealthy food advertising.

The toolkit includes:

• A step by step guide, explaining the processes in detail.
• Case studies from each of the local governments that have implemented a policy, as well as those working towards signing a policy off.
• How to build the case for a local policy including references to academic papers and other local governments’ council papers.
• A detailed explanation of the policy process including example Nutrient Profiling Model questions.
• Challenges to the policy and how to overcome them.

Further information and evidence on the public health impacts of healthier food advertising is available below:

• An overview of the policy successes, public health impacts and maintenance of advertising revenues: How can governments reduce obesity, diabetes and heart disease, while saving the NHS money at negligible cost?
• The independent evaluation of the Transport for London policy led by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine found that the policy led to a 1000 weekly household calorie decrease from unhealthy foods and drinks, as well as a 20% decrease in purchases of high sugar products (such as confectionery).
• The University of Sheffield’s research found that Transport for London’s healthier food advertising policy is expected to lead to 100,000 fewer cases of obesity, 3000 fewer cases of diabetes, 2000 fewer cases of heart disease, which will then save the NHS £218million in London.
• Sustain advised the Mayor of London to write and implement the Healthier Food Advertising policy, and since then has supported several local governments to bring in their own policies. They are currently being consulted by almost 150 local governments who are hoping to bring in their own policies. If your local government is interested in exploring this work and would like to learn more, please contact Fran Bernhardt.