Health and Social Care Committee backs stronger action to protect children from junk food advertising
15 Jul 2026
The Health and Social Care Committee has today published a landmark report calling for stronger action to create healthier food environments for children and young people, including a national ban on junk food advertising in outdoor spaces.
Following its year-long inquiry into food and weight management, the cross-party Committee concluded that unhealthy food marketing continues to shape children's health and called on the Government to take decisive action to put young people's health ahead of commercial interests.
The report sends a clear message: children should no longer be bombarded with junk food advertising on billboards, bus stops, phone boxes and high streets. It recommends extending protections from junk food advertising into outdoor spaces and recognises the need to create environments that support children's health rather than undermine it.
The Committee also highlights the impact of industry lobbying in delaying and weakening policies designed to protect children's health, calling on the Government to stand firm, follow the evidence and put young people first.
The recommendations closely reflect what Bite Back's young activists have been campaigning for over many years. From giving evidence to Parliament to leading our award-winning Commercial Break campaign, young people have consistently called for healthier communities where they are no longer surrounded by advertising for unhealthy food.
The report recognises that the environments children and young people grow up in play a critical role in shaping their health.
It validates what young campaigners have been saying for years: if we want healthier generations, we must create healthier places to live, learn and play.
Now the Government has an opportunity to turn those recommendations into action.
By extending protections from junk food advertising to outdoor spaces, ministers can help create healthier environments for every child. The evidence has been heard, the Committee has laid out a clear roadmap, and now the time for consultation has passed. The time for implementation is now.
Young people respond
Jayda, a Bite Back campaigner, said:
"Children and young people are surrounded by junk food marketing every single day. Whether it's on billboards, at bus stops or on the journey to school, it's almost impossible to avoid. Last year, I had the opportunity to give evidence to this Committee and I'm really pleased to see MPs recognising what young people are experiencing.
"We saw first-hand how coordinated the food and advertising industries can be when they pushed back against Bite Back's Commercial Break campaign, which simply called for children to get a break from junk food adverts. Young people are becoming increasingly aware of these commercial pressures and deserve better.
"This report is an important step towards creating healthier environments for children and young people. Now the Government must act quickly rather than delay. Children's health should always come before commercial interests."
Alice, a Bite Back campaigner, added:
"This isn't about blaming individuals. Everyone has a role to play, but it's much harder when you're constantly surrounded by advertising encouraging unhealthy food. It's about making sure children grow up in environments that support their health instead of making things harder. The Committee has done the hard work and set out a clear path forward. Now it's time for the Government to act."
The publication of the Committee's report marks another significant milestone in the movement for healthier food environments. Young people have spoken, Parliament has listened, and the recommendations are clear.
Now it's time to deliver.
We take the spotlight in the House of Commons
Bite Back activists Alice and Jayda tell the Government to protect children's health and go further on the junk food ad ban at a high-profile House of Commons enquiry. READ IN FULL
