Transport for London’s advertising restrictions linked to reductions in high fat, salt and sugar product purchases

Proscribing the outside promoting of excessive fats, salt and sugar (HFSS) meals and drinks throughout the Transport for London (TfL) community is estimated to have considerably decreased the common quantity of energy bought by households each week from these merchandise, based on new analysis in PLOS Drugs.

Led by the London Faculty of Hygiene & Tropical Drugs (LSHTM), the examine used information on practically two million grocery purchases of HFSS meals and drinks to estimate the impact of the coverage, which noticed restrictions on promoting throughout the TfL property. This contains the London Underground, the TfL Rail community, and at bus stops.

They discovered the coverage was related to an estimated 1,001 kcal (6.7%) lower in common weekly family purchases of vitality from HFSS merchandise in contrast with what would have occurred with out the coverage. Most strikingly, the common weekly purchases of vitality from chocolate and confectionary fell by 317.9 kcal (19.4%).

Common weekly family purchases of fats, saturated fats and sugar from HFSS merchandise had been equally decrease in intervention households in London in comparison with anticipated ranges in households not uncovered to the intervention: fats (57.9 g; 6.5%), saturated fats (26.4 g; 7.3%) and sugar (80.7g; 10.5%).

The group discovered some restricted indication that results had been bigger in households with people dwelling with weight problems.

Dr. Amy Yau, from LSHTM and examine first creator, mentioned that “many governments and native authorities are contemplating promoting restrictions to scale back consumption of excessive fats, salt and sugar (HFSS) merchandise as a part of weight problems prevention methods. Nonetheless, proof of the effectiveness of such insurance policies, particularly away from broadcast media, is scarce.”

“Our examine helps to plug that data hole, displaying Transport for London’s coverage is a possible vacation spot for decision-makers aiming to scale back diet-related illness extra broadly.”

Insurance policies that limit the promoting of HFSS merchandise have been promoted as doubtlessly efficient instruments to scale back the acquisition and consumption of HFSS merchandise, with the goal of bettering eating regimen, lowering weight problems and diet-related ailments and tackling well being inequalities.

In November 2018, restrictions on the outside promoting of HFSS meals and drinks throughout the Transport for London (TfL) community had been introduced by the Mayor of London and had been absolutely applied on 25 February 2019.

The group behind this new analysis needed to seek out out if this coverage may contribute to enhancements in eating regimen by lowering vitality and vitamins bought from HFSS merchandise. Within the absence of dietary information, the group used precise family foods and drinks buy information collected by Kantar, a industrial client information firm, to guage the affect of the intervention.

The examine ran from 18 June 2018 to 29 December 2019, and in contrast common weekly purchases of HFSS merchandise in 977 London households to an estimate of what would have occurred with out the coverage. This estimate was primarily based on the pattern in buying in London earlier than the coverage and adjustments seen in households in a management space (North of England) after the coverage was applied, which accounts for secular developments and seasonal variation in HFSS buying.

After controlling for key components together with intercourse, age, socioeconomic place, quantity of adults and youngsters within the family, and festivals corresponding to Christmas, they estimated the adjustments in family purchases of vitality and vitamins from HFSS merchandise related to the TfL promoting coverage.

Assuming a mean family measurement of two.6 folks within the pattern, and a fair vitality distribution, the group estimated that the intervention decreased vitality purchases by 385 energy per individual per week—equal to each Londoner within the examine buying about 1.5 fewer normal measurement bars of milk chocolate per week.

Professor Steven Cummins, from LSHTM and Chief Investigator of the examine, mentioned that “the impacts we noticed are bigger than these reported for the UK Delicate Drinks Trade Levy, these predicted for a 9PM promoting watershed on HFSS meals or a 20% tax on sugary snacks.”

“The findings are significantly vital in gentle of the Well being Invoice at the moment going by way of Parliament, as they supply additional proof for the effectiveness of promoting restrictions and assist assist the case for the Authorities’s proposed ban on the internet advertising of excessive fats, salt and sugar meals and drinks.”

The group say that whereas the outcomes are encouraging, the discovering are within the context of precise will increase in purchases of HFSS merchandise in intervention and management areas over the examine interval, that means intervention was efficient in lowering progress of HFSS purchases fairly than reaching absolute reductions in HFSS purchases. 

Professor Cummins mentioned that “extra work is required, however our examine suggests most of these insurance policies may have a major affect on lowering consumption of excessive fats, salt and sugar meals, and provide a doubtlessly efficient intervention in different essential public well being coverage areas such because the regulation of alcohol and playing promoting.”

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, mentioned that “it’s a scandal that London has such excessive ranges of kid weight problems and, that in a metropolis as affluent as ours, the place you reside and the quantity you earn can have such an enormous bearing on whether or not you’ve gotten entry to wholesome and nutritious meals.”

“There isn’t any denying that promoting performs an unlimited function in placing much less wholesome foods and drinks within the highlight, and I’m happy to see the optimistic affect these groundbreaking measures have had, resulting in an actual discount within the quantity of junk meals being bought.”

The authors acknowledge limitations of the examine, together with that it was targeted on merchandise to take residence (grocery buy) and didn’t embody takeaway purchases from fast-food shops, eating places, cafes and many others. Results could be bigger if takeaway purchases had been included.