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The UK to ban junk food adverts before 9 pm to address childhood obesity

The Hill reported that the UK is banning junk food advertisements from airing on television or being shown online before 9 p.m., in an effort to address the issue of childhood obesity.
The Hill quoted, citing the UK’s Department of Health and Social Care the ban will only allow junk food advertisements to be featured between 9 p.m. and 5:30 a.m.
Outside of those hours, advertisements for foods that are high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) will not be permitted.
However healthy foods that have a less HFSS content, such as honey, olive oil, avocados and marmite,, will be exempt from the restrictions.
The ban is set to go into effect at the end of next year after a "public consultation," according to the department.
The mandate will only apply to businesses with 250 employees or more that make and/or sell HFSS products.
The Hill quoted the department, that small and medium businesses will not be subject to the restrictions, because the government “recognises these companies may be some of the hardest hit by the pandemic and rely on online media as the sole way to communicate with their customers.”
The department said the new policy will “help protect children from developing long-term unhealthy eating habits and improve nation’s health, and forms just one part of wider plans to tackle childhood obesity.”
“We are committed to improving the health of our children and tackling obesity,” the UK’s Public Health Minister Jo Churchill said in a statement.
“The content youngsters see can have an impact on the choices they make and habits they form. With children spending more time online it is vital we act to protect them from unhealthy advertising,” she added.
The department of health and social care predicts that the television and online restrictions could remove 7.2 billion calories from UK children’s diets a year, which in turn could lower the number of obese children by more than 20,000.
London in November 2018 enacted a ban on junk food advertising on the city’s public transportation network in an effort to tackle child obesity.
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Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
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