Young people are being inundated with junk food marketing on social media platforms ahead of a ban coming into force in 2026.

A study of 4,000 young people aged 11 to 21 by Cancer Research UK found more than half (52%) said they’d seen posts promoting products high in fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) on social media in the past month, from a mix of businesses and influencers.

Nearly 4 in 10 of those who saw the posts said they engaged with them by liking, commenting or sharing them. That number was higher for influencer content than it was for adverts from businesses.

Young people who took part in focus groups described a constant stream of tempting content that left them feeling hungry, craving certain foods, or both.

The charity said the results show how many young people view influencer-led HFSS content as a source of entertainment. It said formats like taste tests and mukbangs (Korean for “eating broadcasts”) can feel like conversations or shared experiences, with some respondents reporting that they actively seek out this kind of content and use it to help them find new products to try.

By making unhealthy products and brands more relatable, Cancer Research UK said influencers end up promoting junk food in ways that are hard to spot or understand meaning young people don’t recognise they are being marketed to.

In January 2026, new UK Government legislation will ban paid-for online advertising of specific HFSS products, including on social media, and introduce a 9pm TV watershed for junk food ads.

The changes have already faced repeated delays and attempts by parts of the food and advertising industries to water them down. The charity said without strong enforcement and adequate funding for regulators, loopholes could limit the legislation’s impact.

“Planned restrictions on junk food advertising online are a vital step to protect young people’s health,” says Liv Cheek, prevention policy manager for Cancer Research UK. “However, these measures must be properly enforced and strengthened by closing any remaining gaps in the online marketing rules. We urge the UK Government and regulators to take bold action to shield young people from harmful marketing that could increase their risk of obesity and cancer in the future.”