A blanket ban on TV advertising of food and drink to children has been ruled out by Ofcom.

Telecoms regulator Ofcom said other measures, such as encouraging exercise, would be a better way to tackle child obesity than a total ban on TV ads.

However, rules could be amended after the publication of a White Paper on public health in the autumn.

Stephen Carter, Ofcom chief executive, said: "Childhood obesity is a public health concern which experts in nutrition, health and education, the government and the food industry are rightly addressing.

"Television advertising clearly has an influence and equally clearly there is a need for a tightening of specific rules. However, a total ban would be neither proportionate nor, in isolation, effective."

The Ofcom research found that most parents do not support an outright ban on television advertising, support the need for better information about the nutritional content of the products being advertised, would like advertisements directed at young children to be less attractive, for example by avoiding the use of cartoon characters, and support the use of targeted scheduling restrictions.

Richard Ali, director of food policy at the British Retail Consortium, commented: "The research clearly shows that childhood obesity is a multifaceted problem and cannot be solved by simplistic, knee-jerk policy responses. A consistent government campaign promoting eating a balanced diet and taking exercise is essential if progress is to be made in solving this serious issue."

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