Porridge considered 'junk food' in obesity crackdown – and people aren't happy

Porridge, among other foods, has been included in the pre-watershed ban of junk food ads following new legislation to tackle childhood obesity.

Details revealed on Tuesday (3 December), show foods such as crumpets, scones, croissants, pains au chocolat, pancakes and waffles are all considered junk food for the purposes of the laws.

The ban will start in October 2025, meaning that such products will no longer be allowed to be advertised before the watershed.

Cakes including muffins, flapjacks and mini rolls will be banned, but icing and cake decorations are exempt, as is savoury bread and traditional loaves.

The restrictions also apply to sugary breakfast cereals including granola, muesli and "porridge oats, including instant porridge and other hot oat-based cereals", while snacks including protein bars, cereal bars and biscuits will also be included in the ban.

In practice, it gives space for healthy versions of products to be advertised, such as porridge oats, but not porridge products that have had sugar, salt or fat added to them.

Some people have since turned to social media following the news:

Meanwhile, others have defended the decision:

Health Secretary Wes Streeting said: "Obesity robs our kids of the best possible start in life, sets them up for a lifetime of health problems, and costs the NHS billions.

"This Government is taking action now to end the targeting of junk food ads at kids, across both TV and online.

"This is the first step to deliver a major shift in the focus of healthcare from sickness to prevention, and towards meeting our Government’s ambition to give every child a healthy, happy start to life."

NHS data shows a trend of rising childhood obesity, with almost one in 10 reception-aged children (9.2 per cent) now living with obesity and one in five by the age of five (23.7 per cent) suffering tooth decay because of excess sugar consumption.

Children with obesity are said to be more likely to live with the condition as adults and to be at significantly greater risk of life-limiting illnesses.

Obesity is the second biggest preventable cause of cancer, according to health experts, costs the UK health service more than £11 billion each year, and is a major contributor to ill health that prevents people from participating fully in work.

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