free refills of sugary beverages will soon be a thing of the past in the u.k. as downing street heads into the new year determined to take on the country’s expanding waistline.
the new rules
, which were reportedly prompted by prime minister boris johnson’s
newfound focus
on 2022年世界杯名单猜测 after contracting covid-19, will come into effect next april. in addition to turning off the faucet on bottomless beverages, the restrictions prevent “buy one, get one free” promotions on unhealthy foods in an attempt to get the country to make better dietary decisions. unhealthy deals will no longer be permitted near the cash register, store entrance, at the ends of aisles — or at their online equivalents, such as on home and landing pages.
“i am determined to help parents, children and families in the u.k. make healthier choices about what they eat,” said matt hancock, the uk’s health secretary,
according to the guardian
. “we know children spend more time online. parents want to be reassured they are not being exposed to adverts promoting unhealthy foods, which can affect habits for life.”
almost two-thirds of adults in the u.k. are overweight or living with obesity,
according to the u.k. government
, as are roughly one in three children upon departure from primary school. it estimates that children under 16 were exposed to around 15 billion junk food ads in 2019, up from 700 million in 2017. addressing illnesses connected to the obesity epidemic take an economic toll on the country that exceeds $10-billion per year.
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