Alert as World Cup sponsors promote junk food

McDonald's, Coca Cola and Budweiser are among those sponsoring the event in South Africa in June and July.

The World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) urged parents to promote healthy eating to their children while the games are on.

It is also calling on the world's football governing body, Fifa, to reinforce its view that exercise can prevent obesity by not allowing companies that make unhealthy foods to sponsor events. Studies have shown that advertising unhealthy foods could affect youngsters' diets.

Teresa Nightingale, general manager for the WCRF, said: "There is no doubt that when it comes to the fight against childhood obesity, football can be a force for good because it is a type of physical activity that is accessible to almost everyone.

"I am sure many children will be inspired by the skills of the likes of Rooney and Messi and try to repeat them in their back gardens and local parks in the same way as their parents and grandparents once tried to emulate Maradona and Pele.

"We hope that, for at least some of these children, the World Cup will spark an interest in sport that will lead to a long-term increase in their physical activity levels.

"But we are raising our concerns about the sponsors and partners for the World Cup so that parents can be aware of the potential effect that this kind of marketing can have on children."

Ms Nightingale said it was "a real own goal" to be giving firms the opportunity for sponsorship of unhealthy products, saying: "We have to be realistic and accept that the existing sponsorship agreements are now in place.

"But it would be a great boost for public health around the world if Fifa could show real leadership on this issue by announcing that it will not consider companies that promote unhealthy products as sponsors or partners in future."

Ian Barber, of the Advertising Association, said: "When the

Government's research suggests that, at most, advertising has a marginal impact on a child's overall diet, these comments risk everyone taking their eye off the ball.

"Without sponsorship, we would have fewer events like the World Cup to inspire young people, not to mention the scores of advertising-funded programmes which aim to keep kids active and healthy.

"If we are serious about improving child health, we need to find more ways to help kids choose the right lifestyle and less time on well-meaning but often poorly evidenced and mis-directed rhetoric."