Overview

• Cancer Research UK surveyed 4,000 people aged 11 to 21 across the UK about exposure to high fat, salt and sugar content on social media.
• Half of respondents (52%) saw HFSS posts in the past month and 39% engaged with them, with higher interaction for influencer posts than for brand accounts.
• Young people reported feeling tempted or hungry after viewing HFSS content, including an 11-year-old who described frequent dessert prompts online.
• New laws due next year will restrict paid-for HFSS advertising on TV and online, though the charity cautions that online loopholes will limit the impact without firm enforcement.
• A government spokesperson said the measures aim to remove up to 7.2 billion calories a year from children’s diets and deliver around £2 billion in health benefits.