Children and young people in Liverpool say they are surrounded by adverts for fast food, sugary drinks and snacks, with some reporting that the adverts make them feel hungry even when they were not hungry before.
A new report, funded by Liverpool City Council’s Public Health team and produced by Health Equalities Group, has explored how advertising and the wider food environment affect the choices made by children, young people and families.
Through workshops and consultations, primary school pupils, parents and Liverpool’s Young Inspectors shared what they see on their journeys, online, in shops and when eating out.
Children described regularly seeing food adverts on buses, at bus stops, on billboards and through TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, television and online games. Fast-food brands were recalled most often, while adverts promoting healthier food were described as rare.
One primary school pupil said: “When I see food on ads, I really, really get hungry and I really want to go there, so I beg my mum and dad to go there.”
Another said: “They make my mouth water and make my belly grumble because it makes you feel hungry.”
The report highlights wider research showing that almost one in four adverts across Liverpool promotes food or drink high in fat, salt or sugar. This type of advertising is also more common in areas facing the greatest inequalities.
Parents said colourful packaging and characters such as Bluey, Peppa Pig, Spider-Man and Paw Patrol can lead children to ask for products without knowing what they contain or whether they will like them.
Families also said that healthier options are often more expensive, harder to find and less prominently displayed than fast food, snacks and sugary products. This can make it more difficult for parents who are already trying to encourage healthy habits at home.
The Young Inspectors (young people trained to review services and represent the experiences of their peers) took part in six workshops. They mapped their local food environments, examined advertising techniques and created their own video and manifesto calling for change.
One Young Inspector said: “You don’t really realise how much unhealthy food there is everywhere until you stop and think about it, because it is so normalised.”
Their recommendations include:
- Stronger controls on less healthy food advertising, particularly near schools, on transport routes and in places used by young people.
- Making healthier food more affordable, including reduced-price school and college meals, discounts and healthy food vouchers.
- Encouraging cafés, restaurants and takeaways to make healthier choices more visible, appealing and affordable.
- Improving food education and creating a more positive food culture in schools.
- Giving children, young people and families a greater say in decisions about their local food environment.
Liverpool City Council introduced a Healthier Food Advertising Policy in 2024, restricting adverts for less healthy food and drink on advertising spaces controlled by the council. The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority has since approved restrictions covering its own advertising spaces, including parts of the public transport network.
However, many billboards, phone boxes and other advertising sites are privately owned and remain outside local authority control. The report calls for stronger national action to close these gaps.
Councillor Harry Doyle, Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Culture, said:
“Children and young people have told us clearly that junk food advertising is part of their everyday lives. They see it on the way to school, while waiting for a bus and when they go online, and they understand how it can affect what they want to eat.
“This is not about blaming families or telling people what they should choose. Families are trying to make the best decisions they can, but healthier choices need to be affordable, appealing and easy to find.
“We have already acted on advertising spaces controlled by the Council, but we cannot address this challenge alone. We will use these findings to strengthen our work with schools, businesses, communities and regional and national partners.”
Professor Matthew Ashton, Director of Public Health for Liverpool City Council, said:
“Our surroundings have a powerful effect on our health. When children are repeatedly shown adverts for less healthy food, while healthier choices are less visible and often more expensive, it creates an unfair playing field.
“This report is particularly important because its findings and recommendations come directly from children, young people and parents. Their experiences must be at the heart of how we create a fairer and healthier Liverpool.
“We want every child to grow up in an environment that supports their health, rather than one where the most heavily promoted choice is often the least healthy.”
Nicola Calder, Food Active Programme Lead, Health Equalities Group, said:
“Children, young people and families demonstrated a strong understanding of how advertising, cost and availability influence their food choices.
“They want a greater voice in shaping their local food environments to make nutritious food more affordable and available and stronger protection from marketing designed to influence what they consume.
“The young people involved have developed practical recommendations that should now help inform local and national action.”
Access the full report, Young Inspectors’ manifesto and video.
