Sadiq Khan has made a radical new proposal to ban all fast food advertisement on TFL

Today the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan announced a proposal to  ban all junk food advertisement, the first ban of its kind, on the TFL estate and a proposal that would prevent fast food places from being near schools.

Sadiq Khan, said: “Child obesity in London is a ticking timebomb and I am determined to act. If we don’t take bold steps against it we are not doing right by our young people as well as placing a huge strain on our already pressurised health service in years to come.”

The mayor is very concerned with the obesity problem in London,  40% of children aged 10-11 are obese which makes London one of the child obesity capitals of Europe. What is also concerning for him is that this issue disproportionally affects more deprived areas.

Young people in Barking and Dagenham are twice as likely to be overweight than children from Richmond. He believes that the government needs to take a more active role in preventing child obesity from becoming out of control.

He is consulting people on banning the advertisement of foods and drinks that are high in sugar, fat and salt. He hopes that by 2028 significant progress will be made towards healthier living for both adults and children.

Chief Medical Officer, Professor Dame Sally Davies, said: “The evidence is clear that although it is not a silver bullet, restricting the amount of junk food adverts children are exposed to will help reduce obesity.

The National Centre for Social Research and Cancer Research UK did a study that showed that advertisements of junk food, especially when they are aimed at children, put extra pressure on families to buy unhealthy food when choosing what to eat

On top of this he has also proposed a ban on hot food takeaways being within 400 metres of schools as well as the creation of a child obesity task force appointing a chair and vice chair to organise the initiative.