The food industry is still harming children's health by promoting unhealthy products despite pledging to curb their marketing activities, a new report has claimed.
The International Association for the Study of Obesity (IASO) found that many food advertisements and promotions target children.
It says that self-regulation is not working and that governments must prioritise health and introduce standards for marketing to youngsters.
Report author Dr Tim Lobstein said: 'The food industry is highly competitive, and a company will always put its own interests first.
'The children's food market is worth billions of euros, and the struggle for access is tantamount to civil war in the food industry. In this context, self-regulation is ineffective and only serves to defer proper controls.'
Maura Gillespie, head of policy and advocacy at the British Heart Foundation, agreed that regulation covering all junk food marketing is needed.
She pointed out that many marketing techniques are 'completely unregulated' under the current system, putting many children at risk of obesity and heart disease in later life.
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