EFFORTS to ban the marketing of junk food to pre-school children through TV adverts were set to be launched in Parliament today.

The House of Commons was to hear a plea for a Bill to outlaw TV advertising of food and drink high in salt, sugar and fat to under five-year-olds.

The move comes at a time of heightened concern about the possible impact advertising has on children’s diets. British experts who published a study in September said they believed advertising strongly influences what youngsters say they prefer to eat.

The study, commissioned by the Food Standards Agency, discovered that TV adverts targeted at children were dominated by breakfast cereals containing sugar, soft drinks, sweets and other snacks.

Separate research from the University of Liverpool last month found obese children are more receptive to food adverts on television than normal weight youngsters.

The most recent estimates suggest that by 2001, some 8.5 per cent of six year-olds and 15 per cent of 15 year-olds in England were obese.

Debra Shipley, Labour MP for Stourbridge, was today introducing a ten-minute rule motion in the Commons urging that "leave be given to bring in a Bill to ban the advertising of high-fat, high-sugar and high-salt content food and drinks during pre-school children’s television programmes and related scheduling."

She said: "Irresponsible food and drink manufacturers ruthlessly target children through television advertising and clever marketing strategies. No mention is made of the fact that high-fat, high-sugar and high-salt food and drink can cause obesity and diabetes.

"My Bill will prevent these kinds of foods being foisted on pre-schoolchildren who have no understanding of the nature of advertising."