ASO Responds to DHSC Consultation on Food Advertising

The Association for the Study of Obesity (ASO) has submitted a formal response to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) consultation on applying the new NPM to advertising and promotions restrictions. The response strongly endorses the application of the 2018 Nutrient Profile Model (NPM) to advertising restrictions, framing it as a crucial intervention to reshape the food environment and narrow existing health inequalities. By moving from total sugars to a more robust free-sugars metric, this policy update directly addresses a key determinant of childhood obesity and removes misleading ‘health halos’ from high-sugar products that trick parents into thinking they are making healthy choices.

To fully realise the public health and economic benefits of the proposed changes, the ASO urges the government to adopt the more ambitious Option 3 and expand the current model to include calorie-dense categories. For example, the framework should include savoury pastries, as these products are recognised contributors to children’s saturated fat, salt, and caloric intake – yet remain excluded on the grounds of administrative burden. Implementing this broader scope ensures the policy acts as an equitable mechanism for driving long-term value for money and population-wide health gains across the life course.