TfL advertising policy restricting junk food advertising could save lives and NHS money

Junk food advertising restrictions on Transport for London (TfL) networks have prevented almost 100,000 cases of obesity and are expected to save the NHS more than £200m, according to new research.

The new study, from the University of Sheffield and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), revealed that TfL’s advertising policy restricting the advertising of foods that are high in calories from sugar and fat or high in salt has prompted consumers to cut back on less healthy products.

The researchers estimate that the policy, which has been in place since 2019, has directly led to 94,867 fewer cases of obesity than expected (a 4.8 percent decrease), 2,857 fewer cases of diabetes, and 1,915 fewer cases of cardiovascular disease.

As well as the benefits to people’s health, the analysis found that current advertising policy would save the NHS £218 million over the lifetime of the current population.

The study is published in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, and is led by the University of Sheffield in collaboration with researchers from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), who previously found that advertising policy has contributed to a Decrease of 1000 calories in energy from unhealthy purchases in consumers’ weekly purchases.

By looking at what consumers buy in their weekly grocery stores through surveys and comparing trends in London with a control group of households outside of London where there were no restrictions on advertising, the academics were able to assess the effect that the policy is having on people’s health and the health service.

We all know how persuasive and powerful advertising can be in influencing what we buy, especially the food we eat. Our study has shown what an important tool advertising restrictions can be in helping people lead healthier lives without costing them more money.

We hope that demonstrating the policy’s significant benefits in preventing obesity and obesity-exacerbated diseases will lead to its implementation on a national scale, something that could save lives and NHS money.”

Dr Chloe Thomas, Study First Author, University of Sheffield School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR)

The findings reveal that the policy has had the greatest impacts on the health of people from deprived areas in terms of preventing health conditions, thereby reducing the level of health inequality in London. Even though middle-income people cut more calories, the policy has had a greater impact in more deprived areas, since people in those areas tend to be less healthy overall.

Professor Steve Cummins, from LSHTM, said: “This work shows the potential health and cost-saving impacts of the Mayor of London’s ‘Restriction of Junk Food Ads’ based on our assessment earlier this year, published in PLoS Medicine, which found that the policy reduced average household energy purchases by 1,000 calories per week.

“With more than 80 local authorities across the UK now considering implementing similar policies, this study provides further evidence of the effectiveness of advertising restrictions in helping to support decision-makers. In light of the current delay of the government in implementing obesity prevention policies outlined in the recent Health and Care Act 2022, this is a policy that local authorities can implement now without the need for national regulation in an effort to tackle obesity through national scale”.

The findings come at a time when food and diet are firmly on the minds of many families in Britain: the government recently announced its Food Strategy, which has come under intense scrutiny for not going far enough to address the concerns about food safety in the UK.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: “Advertising certainly plays an important role in promoting and encouraging the consumption of less healthy food. With childhood obesity putting the lives of young Londoners at risk, we simply It’s not right that children and families around the world are regularly inundated with unhealthy food advertisements in the capital, so it was clear to him that strong action was needed.

“Building on research from earlier this year, this study demonstrates once again that the innovative restrictions we introduced could not only influence behavior and ultimately save lives, but could directly save our NHS.” hundreds of millions of pounds.

“I am determined to continue this work to improve the health of Londoners, ease some of the burden of our overstretched health service and build a better London for all.”

Dr Penny Breeze, lead researcher on the study from the University of Sheffield’s School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR), added: “There have been very few studies that have looked at the health and economic impact of advertising restrictions outside the home. We are delighted to show that the policy offers many benefits and we hope that the policy will continue to be implemented outside of London.”