Nine mayors across the UK – including Greater Manchester’s Andy Burnham – have committed to ban the marketing of junk food on public transport.
Coming into effect on buses, trams, and other areas under control of these mayors, these bans look to reduce childhood obesity.
We spoke to residents in Manchester about this new policy:
Some Mancunians expressed support for this new policy, highlighting that it would have a positive effect on young people. Rob Williams, 49, said “anything that cuts down on fast food advertising is good”.
He added that children are “definitely” influenced by junk food advertisements, including his 11-year-old daughter who has suggested visiting fast-food restaurants after seeing their marketing materials on TV and on billboards.
Encouraging children to stick to a balanced diet is a regular activity for Nasir Akram, 46, who is the Director of the Bolton boxing gym Round4Round.
He told us the gym sees 450 young people attending each week, and that these children are often “distracted by so many fast food adverts”.
Young adults in Manchester had a different perspective on the ban, highlighting that it may be ineffective or even harmful.
What someone eats should be their own decision, not something for the local authorities to be “moralising”, according to Milly Overland, 21.
She highlights that drawing strict distinctions between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ foods can contribute to eating disorders, saying that everyone needs a balanced diet including many different types of foods.
Caiden Ward, 17, said that junk food is probably acceptable in moderation, especially as it’s an affordable option. He agreed that children are often the target of food brands – giving the example of Lunchly – a new school lunchbox-filler developed by influencers KSI and Logan Paul.
The ban comes after a new central government policy which restricts junk food adverts online and on TV before 9pm. This policy applies to foods such as soft drinks, sweets, breakfast cereal, cakes, pizza, potato products, and more, according to the BBC.
The mayors of the Liverpool City Region, North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire and the North East, were among those to commit to these new restrictions.
Youth activist group Bite Back, which looks to challenge “a food system that’s been set up to fool us all”, were influential in these newly enacted bans.
“Bite Back have taken the fight to the junk food giants and it’s only right that we join our voices in support,” said Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester.
“Our young people deserve the best possible start in life and that means leaders speaking as one and taking action where we can to limit the influence of junk food adverts.”
Main image by Sean Nolan
