5 Planned Anti-Obesity Laws That Could Affect Your life – from school dinners to energy drinks ban

The Tory government has announced a crackdown on obesity to stop a “catastrophic” time-bomb in children’s health.

Plans unveiled today include a milkshake tax, an end to the checkout candy ‘gauntlet’ and a 9pm watershed on junk food ads.

Some of the measures – like forcing restaurant, cafe and takeaway menus to include calorie counts – are designed to give you more information.

Others, like a ban on selling energy drinks to under-18s, would have a direct effect on your life.

They’re mostly just proposals at the moment – and there’s no firm date of when they will happen. That’s despite an ambition to halve childhood obesity by 2030.

But even so, here’s a run-down of 5 measures proposed by Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt that would affect you most.

1. Under-18s could be banned from buying energy drinks

A consultation is being launched on banning shops selling energy drinks to under-18s (Image: Bloomberg)

Children are set to be banned from buying Red Bull and other energy drinks until they reach the age of 18.

New figures show a quarter of youngsters aged six to nine knock back the fizzy products, even though they have as much caffeine as a cup of coffee.

So the government is launching a consultation on banning shops from selling them to under-18s.

2. Sugary shakes could be hit with a milkshake tax

Milkdrinks and iced coffees could be included in the Sugar Tax (Image: EyeEm)

Government officials say there’s been an “encouraging start” since the Sugar Tax was introduced on fizzy drinks.

But it could be extended further.

It will be extended to cover milk-based drinks – like milkshakes and sugary iced coffees – “if sufficient sugar reduction is not seen”, officials say.

Currently the Sugar Tax doesn’t apply to drinks that are at least 75% milk.

3. Schools will face a new health crackdown

School food standards will be updated (Image: Getty Images)

School food standards will be updated so kids’ meals reflect the sugar and fibre recommendations from the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition.

Meanwhile, there will be a “national ambition” for every primary school to start an ‘active mile’ programme – getting kids out of the classroom for at least 15 minutes a day.

This would be backed by £620,000 for Living Street’s Walk to School project and £1million for 25,000 places on the Bikeability cycling training scheme.

4. TV junk food adverts could be banned before 9pm

TV ads promoting high fat, sugar or salt foods are likely to be banned before the 9pm watershed.

A consultation will be under way by Christmas, the Department of Health says – though there’s still no date for when it would come into force.

Similar protections could be examined online but it’s not yet clear how.

5. ‘2-for-1’ supermarket offers could be banned

Ministers say they’re “intending” to ban junk food two-for-one offers (Image: Alamy)

Ministers want to stop ‘pester-power’ by banning supermarkets from including junk food in buy-one-get-one-free deals.

And they also “intend” to introduce a law to ban displays of junk foods from the end of aisles, checkouts and store entrances.

It’d apply to foods high in fat, sugar and salt “sold in supermarkets and online”, the Department of Health said.

What do campaigners say?

Sir Harpal Kumar of Cancer Research UK said: “This is one of the most significant health challenges of our time.

“More than 60 cancers are diagnosed daily in the UK due to excess weight.”

And Chris Askew of Diabetes UK added: “These measures have the potential to transform the health of our nation.”

What does Labour say?

Labour branded it “another watered down, lame duck strategy” (Image: Handout)

Shadow Health Secretary Jonathan Ashworth said: “Cutting public health budgets has made a mockery of any determined agenda to prevent obesity.

“We need bold action not another watered down, lame duck strategy.”

He said Labour would create a £250million child health fund and recruit more school nurses and health visitors to tackle childhood obesity.