Petition to restrict unhealthy food sponsorship at Scottish sporting events
- Area of Work: Policy and Research
- Type: News Item
- Published: 31st January 2025
Obesity Action Scotland wants to stop unhealthy food sponsorship at Scottish sports events including the 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games.
Obesity Action Scotland is running a petition to restrict unhealthy food sponsorship at Scottish sporting events.
High fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) food are detrimental to public health and contribute to Scotland’s rising obesity rates, particularly among children. Allowing HFSS product sponsorship in Scottish sporting events, including the 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games, undermines efforts to achieve healthy weight due to their influence on obesity and comorbidities, and the susceptibility of children to sponsorship and marketing tactics promoting unhealthy products. Sports are geared to foster healthy living and HFSS food promotions takes away from this goal.
Obesity Action Scotland are calling for immediate action from sports authorities and sporting event organisers to implement our proposed actions and mitigate the harm from HFSS food products on Scotland’s population health.
The petition outlines actions to:
- Ensure sporting events in Scotland are free from sponsorship by high fat, sugar and salt food companies
- Adopt a child-rights approach to restrict HFSS food advertising and marketing within and around sports venues
- Promote affordable, sustainable and healthy food options and prohibit HFSS food outlets at and near sporting venues
- Free media promotions of sporting events from HFSS food advertising.
- Ensure sports persons do not endorse any HFSS food brand elements.
Find out more and sign the petition here.
To read more on the effects of sports marketing please consult our advertising briefing here.
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