Most people enjoy a takeaway every now and again, right?
Whether it's a burger from Five Guys (little bacon cheeseburger all the way), a Chinese or a chippy - who are we to say no?
Regardless of how much we enjoy this food, experts say there's an obesity crisis with some of them, including politicians, calling to ban adverts which include these foods.
Since the early 90s, the UK population's weight has risen with more than 60% of the adult population now overweight or obese, according to NHS Digital.
And unsurprisingly, Public Health Scotland say the risk of obesity in children is lowest for those living in more affluent areas.
Now in a bid to stop the crisis, junk food adverts in the UK are set to be banned on TV before the watershed hour at 9pm.
The foods and drinks set to be banned have been selected using the Department of Health's Nutrient Profiling Model, HFSS - food and drinks that are high in (saturated) fat, salt or sugar.
In the anti-obesity campaign driven by Boris Johnson, in this category will be wiped from our TV screens as well as online.
In April 2018, the government introduced the 'SDIL' referred to as the Soft Drinks Industry Levy which puts a charge of 24p on drinks containing 8g of sugar per 100ml and 18p a litre on those with 5-8g of sugar per 100ml.
This was to help with the childhood obesity strategy, aiming to reduce sugar consumption by persuading companies to reformulate their high sugar drinks to avoid paying the levy.
Despite his call for a healthier approach, the PM has previously come under fire for suggesting restaurants should include the calories beside each meal on their menus in order to help people make healthier choices. Once the news circulated of the proposed plans, thousands took to social media, supporting those who didn't think it would be a good idea due to eating disorders.
Regardless of whether this happens, companies will still be able to promote their products on their own websites and social media platforms.
Under the new plans, other high calorie food which aren't classed as junk foods such as avocado, honey and olive oil will be exempt from the ban that comes into force in 2023.
In an interview, Boris Johnson said he hopes to send a "clear message" that Britain does in fact have "a national struggle with obesity" that needs to be dealt with..
"The cost on the NHS is vast" he said.
"We've just seen during the covid pandemic just how obesity can be one of the comorbidities in serious illness, let’s get a grip on it and I think that sending out a signal through advertising is entirely right.”
The full plans are as follows:
- Ban on TV and online adverts for food high in fat, sugar and salt before 9pm
- End of deals like ‘buy one get one free’ on unhealthy food high in salt, sugar and fat
- Calories to be displayed on menus to help people make healthier choices when eating out – while alcoholic drinks could soon have to list hidden ‘liquid calories’
- New campaign to help people lose weight, get active and eat better after COVID-19 ‘wake-up call’
