It’s time to kick Big Food out of our spaces

At Bite Back, we’re on a mission to change the way unhealthy food is made, marketed and sold, especially to children. Everyone — especially young people — deserves to live in a world where Big Food businesses are held to account for their impact on our health, and where the Government leads the way in building a healthier environment for future generations.

Sick of the relentless bombardment of junk food advertising when we’re out and about — young people are calling for change.

In this blog, Bite Back activist Farid shares his experiences and explains why the time for action on outdoor advertising is now.

Farid's Story

My name is Farid, and I’ve been a Bite Back activist since I was 14. I’m now at college doing my A Levels. I LOVE football and I spend every spare minute playing it. I’m that person who always has a football at my feet. I should be on the pitch — not worrying about junk food advertising. But being part of Bite Back matters to me — and to my generation.

Since the day I was born, I’ve been targeted. There are three schools near me, and there’s a road that wraps around them — it is swamped with ads for unhealthy food and drinks. Practically all the bus stops where I live are covered in junk food adverts. We even have two McDonald’s branches on one road near me. It’s like Big Food is sending us a message: if you miss us once, we’ll always be around the next corner...

The truth is, this isn’t normal. It isn’t normal to feel trapped and surrounded by junk food ads. And it isn’t normal for my younger brother —to have Big Food’s slogans embedded in his memory — he hasn’t even reached his teens yet. It’s not just me and my brother: our research shows the massive efforts Big Food goes to, to make sure junk food is centre stage.

That’s why we are taking a stand with our own ad campaign. In a symbolic show of resistance against the massive efforts brands are going to to make sure junk food plays a starring role in all our minds we have taken over parts of South London, buying up 365 ad spaces, taking over 100 buses and making our presence felt where the junk food giants normally dominate.

Our black and white billboards say it all — We’ve bought this ad space so the junk food giants couldn’t — we’re giving kids a commercial break!

We’re calling for change, but we can’t do it on our own. There are people out there — such as MPs, ministers, mayors and councillors — who have the power to make this change happen. People like Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, who said, “Bite Back have taken the fight to the junk food giants and it's only right that we join our voices in support. Our young people deserve the best possible start in life and that means leaders speaking as one and taking action where we can to limit the influence of junk food adverts.” For too long junk food has been the cultural wallpaper and it is destroying the health of a generation. Together we can change that.

We deserve a world that is fair and where junk food is pushed out of the spotlight. I want to walk down the street with my younger brother, knowing that he will be protected in a way that I’m not right now.

All we want is a level playing field so we can live free from the pressures from these global food giants. Our health has to be a priority.

It’s time something was done to make that happen.

TAKE ACTION

Big Food are taking over our streets with junk food ads. So we've taken over ad space — before the food giants could.

Now it’s your turn to spread the word. If you believe young people deserve better than junk food ads on every corner, share my story with #CommercialBreak. Help make the message too loud to ignore!