Spending on junk food advertising is nearly 30 times what government spends on promoting healthy eating

UK experts are urging the government to take steps to restrict advertising of junk food after a new analysis was published showing that food companies spend much more on such advertising than the government spends on promoting healthy eating.

The concerns have been raised by the Obesity Health Alliance of more than 40 leading health charities, medical royal colleges, and campaign groups, which released details of the analysis on 11 October to coincide with world obesity day.

The analysis used data from The Grocer magazine’s top 100 list of advertising spending on fast moving consumer brands, which identifies brands commonly associated with crisps, confectionery, and sugary drinks.1

The analysis showed that companies …