London to ban junk-food advertising on public transportation

London Mayor Sadiq Khan announced Friday that advertising for junk food will be banned on the city’s public transportation network. 

The move targeting foods and nonalcoholic drinks high in fat, salt and sugar is an effort to tackle childhood obesity, CNN reported.

{mosads}Advertising for products such as chocolate, sugary drinks and burgers will be banned.

London has some of the highest child overweight and obesity rates in Europe, according to research by City Hall. An estimated 40 percent of children between the ages of 10 and 11 are overweight.

Children in the city’s poorest neighborhoods are disproportionally affected.

New figures released on Thursday showed roughly 7,000 young people in Britain have been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, which is directly linked to obesity.

Khan originally proposed the ban in May, and it received an overwhelming 82 percent approval rating on an online discussion platform, CNN reported.

Childhood obesity is a “ticking time bomb,” the mayor said.

“It’s clear that advertising plays a huge part in the choices we make, whether we realize it or not, and Londoners have shown overwhelming support for a ban on adverts for junk food and drink on our transport network,” he said in a statement.

“It’s completely unacceptable that in a city as prosperous as London, where you live and the amount you earn can have a massive impact on whether you have access to healthy, nutritious food. I’m determined to change this,” he added.