Boris Johnson’s obesity U-turn is a total Eton mess

Have no doubt that these policies would have a profound impact on child health. Advertising restrictions work. A recent peer-reviewed study by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine showed that thanks to the mayor of London’s junk food advertising restrictions on the capital’s buses and tube trains, families are now buying 1,000 fewer calories a week from food that is high in fat, salt and sugar.

The evidence could also not be clearer that policies that are good for child health can also be good for business. Before the Transport for London advertising restrictions came into force two years ago, the advertising and food industries were saying they would be hit hard and advertising revenues would tumble. What actually happened? Food companies simply started advertising their slightly healthier products and TfL advertising revenues actually increased by £2.3m that year.