Oldham dental therapist welcomes junk food advertising ban
A dental therapist from Oldham has welcomed a ban on junk food advertising before the watershed.
Nyree Whitley, from mydentist on Ripponden Road, has welcomed news of an impending ban on junk food, which has been introduced to try and drive down childhood obesity rates.
As well as targeting rising obesity rates by preventing children from seeing adverts designed to encourage them to eat unhealthy foods, the move will also impact dental health.
Tooth decay is currently the most common reason children are admitted for hospital treatment in the UK.
Ms Whitley said that it is imperative that oral health is prioritised and that children are encouraged to make healthy food choices to lower the risk of decay and tooth loss. The mydentist team regularly sees children who need teeth extracting due to their diet. Almost all cases of childhood decay are preventable.
More than 20,000 children under the age of 10 are admitted to UK hospitals every year for treatment for decay and numbers are rising.
As a parent and a dental professional, Ms Whitley is keen to encourage good oral health habits and she believes that the junk food advertising bad will have a positive impact. Watching adverts makes people want to consume the products featured in them.
By removing adverts for junk food before the watershed, children will not be targeted and dental and public health experts are hoping that consumption will fall.
The pre-watershed junk food advertising ban is set to come into force by the end of 2022.
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