Spain has announced plans to prohibit influencers, TV hosts, and sports stars from advertising unhealthy food and beverages to children.

Anyone in a position to influence children would be prohibited from marketing food or drink that is high in sugar, sodium, salt, or fat, according to the proposals, which were recently put out for public comment.

Spain’s consumer affairs ministry stated, in its draft decree, that “the ban would prohibit appearances in commercial communications by parents, educators, teachers, children’s TV professionals, sportspeople, artists, influencers, and people or characters – be they real or fictional – who may, by dint of their careers, be likely to represent a model or example for these minors.” 

Furthermore, the ministry defined an influencer as “a person with a high level of influence over children and young people because of their large number of followers on social or digital media, and who interacts through messages on networks, blogs, posts, videos or similar media”.

The move comes five months after Spain's consumer affairs minister, Alberto Garzón, announced a ban on advertisements for unhealthy foods aimed at children on TV, online, social media and apps, cinemas, newspapers, and radio. 

Chocolate, cakes, cookies, energy bars, juices, energy drinks, and ice cream would all be prohibited.

It is worth mentioning that 40.6 percent of Spanish children aged six to nine were overweight, with 17.3 percent classified as obese, according to a 2019 study.