Despite regulations restricting TV ads for junk food during kids’ programmes, children are still exposed to the same level of advertising for unhealthy foods, new research partly funded by British Heart Foundation (BHF) has found.

Under current restrictions, foods which are high in fat, salt and sugar can’t be shown during children’s television programmes.

A team of researchers from Newcastle University found that almost all adverts shown during children’s programmes met current restrictions. But children’s exposure to junk food ads remained the same because children also watch TV outside of these times.

BHF’s Policy Manager, Mubeen Bhutta, said: “This research shows that loopholes in advertising regulations allow our children to be targeted with promotions for junk food during their favourite TV shows.
“Our recent report found manufacturers are also targeting children online, with promotions for unhealthy foods which can’t be advertised during children’s TV. It’s clear that current restrictions simply don’t go far enough.”

Bhutta added that in order to protect children, “all junk food adverts should be screened after the 9pm watershed.”

BHF has called for consistent advertising regulations across all forms of media, including online, to protect the children. “It’s time for the Government to put the health of our children above the health of the advertising industry,” Bhutta said.

The research was published in the journal PLoS One.