South Korea bans junk-food commercials

SEOUL - South Korea’s government Tuesday limited television advertisements for high-calorie foods in a bid to halt a trend toward obesity among the country’s children.

Commercials for hamburgers, pizza, instant noodles, chocolate, ice cream and other sweets are now banned from South Korea’s television screens from 5 to 7 p.m. as well as from slots on children’s television.

In March, the Asian country already banned the sale of such high-calorie foods from schools.

The ban applies to foods that contain a high level of saturated fats or sugars in relation to their nutritional content, the Health, Welfare and Family Affairs Ministry said. The ban is to enter into force this month.

The restrictions should provide consumers with more information to make their food decisions more wisely, the ministry said. At the same time, they should encourage food producers to improve the nutritional value of their products, it said.

Advertising restrictions and junk-food bans at schools are two of the most effective ways to prevent children from eating unhealthy food, a report by the World Health Organization said.