Unhealthy Food Advertising Still Reaches Millions of Children

Children in Europe spend increasing amounts of time on screens: during the week 42 percent of children spend at least two hours per day, at the weekend 78 percent of kids are in front of screens for that long. Platforms like Netflix, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat play a central role in their media consumption. Advertising for foods high in fat, sugar and salt, usually ultra-processed, is omnipresent across these channels – and this is contributing directly to unhealthy eating behaviours. 

foodwatch calls for the introduction of binding EU-wide rules to reduce children’s exposure to this harmful marketing in the response to the European Commission’s consultation on the Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD). 

Junk food marketing contributes to rising obesity rates 

Advertising for foods high in sugar, salt or fat plays a major role in unhealthy eating habits among children. According to studies, one in three primary school children in Europe is overweight or obese, while less than half eat fruit or vegetables daily. This is the visible obesity; there is also a worrying rise in the number of children with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, the so-called ‘invisible obesity’ that is much less discussed. Children are particularly exposed to marketing on social media platforms like TikTok, YouTube and Instagram – as well as on TV and streaming services. 

A recent foodwatch analysis found that 85 percent of products advertised to children by companies signed on to the EU Pledge would be banned under the World Health Organization’s (WHO) nutrition criteria. In Germany, children see around 15 adverts for unhealthy food per day – despite voluntary commitments by the industry. 

Self-regulation has proven ineffective 

Article 9(4) of the AVMSD encourages food companies to regulate themselves through voluntary codes of conduct. However, this approach does not work in practice and leaves children unprotected. The AVMSD fails to define who qualifies as a “child”, ignores key digital advertising formats, and does not apply a consistent EU-wide nutrition standard. 

Clear, enforceable rules needed 

To better protect children’s health, foodwatch is calling for legally binding advertising restrictions across all audiovisual media. These should include: 

• A ban on advertising unhealthy food on linear TV and streaming platforms between 6:00 and 23:00 
• Use of the WHO Europe nutrient profile model to define which products may not be marketed to children 
• A ban on unhealthy food marketing on social media, including influencer content 
• A prohibition on sponsorship of events by food brands, unless the products are demonstrably healthy 
• A broad definition of marketing to children as any content that reaches people under 18, regardless of design or intent 

These measures would significantly reduce children’s exposure to unhealthy food advertising and support healthier eating habits.  

But should the EU fail to implement effective legislation, national governments must retain the right to adopt stricter rules at the national level. Without decisive action, unhealthy food marketing will continue to undermine public health efforts and contribute to rising rates of childhood obesity across Europe. 

• foodwatch Input into the Call for Evidence on Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD)   
• European Union Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD)