Researchers found that in Liverpool, 50% of all food and drink ads were for HFSS products. HFSS advertising was most concentrated in the most deprived areas. In fact in Liverpool, not a single advert of any kind was recorded in the least deprived neighbourhoods.
Bite Back’s latest report coincides with a billboard takeover campaign, led by young activists from Bite Back, calling on the Government to extend advertising restrictions for less healthy food and drink to all outdoor advertising.
Vin, 18, a Bite Back youth activist from Liverpool, said: “In my area, junk food ads aren’t just common — they’re the norm. You walk down the street and you see burgers and chocolate on every corner.
It sends the message that this is all we deserve. But we deserve better. That’s why I’m part of this campaign — to say loud and clear that young people want healthier futures, and we won’t be quiet while junk food companies keep shouting over us.”
In a bold response, Bite Back youth activists, backed by Impact on Urban Health, have secured billboards across London to block junk food adverts entirely. They have placed hundreds of billboards in high-traffic areas across Lambeth and Southwark, including London Bridge Station, with one clear message:
“We’ve bought this ad space so the junk food giants couldn’t – we’re giving kids a commercial break.”
Bite Back highlighted the borough of Southwark in London, as evidence that local restrictions on junk food advertising work. The charity however, stressed that national action is needed to close the gaps. Following the Mayor of London’s Transport for London (TfL) HFSS ad ban in 2019, Southwark introduced its own policy and now has the lowest rate of HFSS advertising among the cities studied, at 38% of food adverts compared to 50% in Liverpool.
Bite Back pointed to TfL’s experience — showing no loss in advertising revenue since the restrictions were introduced — as proof that healthier advertising environments are possible without financial trade-offs.
Professor Mark Green, University of Liverpool, said: “This new study reveals an alarming picture of the extent of inequalities in food marketing across England. It is no surprise that children in the most deprived areas of England are more than twice as likely to be living with obesity compared to those in the least deprived areas, given the targeting of these communities with unhealthy food advertising which makes these products more accessible and appealing.”
Bite Back’s analysis of ad spend data showed that in 2024, food and drink companies spent over £400 million on street advertising. The top 10 spenders included McDonald’s, PepsiCo, KFC, Coca-Cola, Mars, Mondelez and Red Bull.
The research also highlights how major food companies are saturating these communities with unhealthy food ads, reinforcing health inequalities and driving food related ill health.
In response, Bite Back and Impact on Urban Health are calling for urgent action to break this cycle and bring about meaningful policy change.
The full report, with the policy recommendations can be found here.