After news was released of Boris Johnson planning to ban ads for Britain’s favourite foods on telly and online, Daniel Pryor takes to task the idea that it will help Britain battle the bulge:

"Politicians might find TV ads annoying, but the revenues they generate help fund our favourite shows. Banning junk food ads before watershed would give us worse TV and do nothing to improve the nation's health. A large body of evidence shows that advertising doesn't brainwash us into buying things we don't want. Instead it works by boosting specific brands, like encouraging people who fancy a takeaway to choose Wagamama over Nando's. Since there's no legal definition of junk food, the proposed ban would include virtually all fruit juice, raisins, hummus, most cheeses and more. Public health nannies might want to treat us all like brainwashed children, but we should reject them and their half-baked nonsense."

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