No More Junk Food Ads On London Transport

You won’t be salivating over a picture of a burger or a promo for chocolate on the Tube anytime soon, because junk food ads are being banned on public transport in London.

To try and stop us all from chowing down on unhealthy treats too often, new ads won’t be put up on the network from this week.

The ban officially started on Monday (February 25th), but you may still see a few that haven’t been taken down yet.

Anything that’s high in fat, salt or sugar will be a no go on trains, buses and even bus shelters in the capital and if it leads to shrinking waistlines, we might see these adverts disappearing in other parts of the country too.

Transport for London (TfL) told the BBC: “We’ve already seen large advertisers confirm they will continue to advertise on the TfL network under the new rules – by advertising their products that are not too high in fat, salt and sugar.”

But will it actually stop us from stuffing our faces with fast food and calorie-laden snacks? Mayor of London Sadiq Khan certainly thinks so.

He described childhood obesity in London as a “ticking time bomb” and says banning junk food ads will help to stop it.

But the Advertising Association doesn’t agree and said that it’s wider issues in society that are driving obesity, not ads.

Mr Khan’s “tough action” on obesity will mean no ads on taxis, at roundabouts or even the boats that go up and down the River Thames.

We’re all sure to get used to not seeing the sorts of ads that were common from King’s Cross to Tottenham Court Road, but whether it stops us from reaching for that bar of milk chocolate remains to be seen.

Just like the sugar tax on fizzy drinks, it’s an attempt to get us to eat healthier, but it might take more than just banning tempting ads to end the nation’s love affair with fast food.