UK Party Wants To Tackle Childhood Obesity By Banning All Junk Food Ads On Primetime TV

According to the World Health Organization, there were an estimated 42 million overweight children under the age of five around the world in 2015, and the rate has only increased since. The Labour Party in the United Kingdom is looking to change that statistic in the country by banning junk food advertisements on primetime TV.

Ads for products high in fat, salt, or sugar are already banned on children's TV, but the new ban would expand to cover all TV programs before 9 p.m., the BBC reported. TV shows such as The X Factor, Hollyoaks, and Britain's Got Talent will also be affected if the ban is officially introduced.

"We are asking people to think about the impact and asking the advertising industry to recognize by putting their messages into things like Britain's Good Talent all the time, it is having an effect on children saying they want to eat and drink this stuff," Jonathan Ashworth, Labour's shadow health secretary, told the BBC.

Through the initiative, Labour plans to cut the number of overweight children in half within 10 years.

To read about 10 reasons you should care about childhood obesity, click here.