The obesity crisis is worsening in the UK as more and more children are classed as overweight. The government has been trying to tackle the major issue by introducing new laws, including banning under 16s from buying energy drinks and the introduction of a sugar tax on certain drinks.
It is understood that one in three children are overweight in the United Kingdom.
They have now decided to ban sweets and other unhealthy foods from checkouts at supermarkets, which parents will be thrilled to hear.
The new law is part of their plan to cut childhood obesity figures by 50 percent before the year 2030.
They are hoping this change will encourage families to make healthier choices, especially when they’re food shopping.
The government will also clamp down on advertisements for junk food as part of the plan.
A recent study found that YouTube stars are having a negative impact on children’s diets. The study discovered that children who watched popular stars who consumed high levels of junk food were more likely to eat similar foods like cakes and takeaways.
If they see these famous figures eating poorly, it gives them the idea that it is acceptable.
176 children took part in the study, which focused on two of the biggest YouTube stars- Zoella and Alfie Deyes.
The couple has millions of followers across all of their social media platforms and often upload videos of their day-to-day lives.
The participants were split into three groups- one group was shown photos of the influencers with unhealthy snacks, another was shown photos of them with healthy foods and another group with non-food products.
The youths were then offered a variety of snacks- both healthy and unhealthy- including jelly sweets, grapes, chocolate and carrot sticks.
The kids who viewed the unhealthy photos consumed approximately 448 calories and the ones who viewed the other photos ate 357 calories.
The researchers hope the influencers will be more responsible, “They've earned a position of trust among young people and there has to be some responsibility along the line,” said Dr Emma Boyland.
