The television watchdog, Ofcom, ruled out a ban on advertising junk foods to children yesterday, saying the role of advertising in obesity was small compared to that of other factors such as exercise and family habits.
It said any other action would have to wait for the government's public health white paper in the autumn. The decision to kick the issue into the long grass sets Ofcom on collision course with the growing campaign to curb marketing to children.
The food industry stepped up its lobbying against new controls earlier this month, when the head of the Food and Drink Federation, John Sunderland, met Tony Blair to say the industry should be allowed to take voluntary measures to address the obesity crisis. It is determined to fight off a ban on advertising or any regulation that labels certain foods as bad.
Mr Sunderland is also head of the CBI, and is understood to have been meeting the prime minister in that capacity when he used the opportunity to remind him of the food industry's views. The FDF now expects to meet ministers at the departments for health and culture, media and sport to develop its proposals.
It welcomed the Ofcom report. "There's been an awful lot of emotionally-laden opinion on food advertising, and we are pleased this report takes an evidence-based approach. We agree a ban would be neither proportionate nor effective," the deputy director, Martin Paterson, said.
Ofcom was asked to review the code of practice on advertising to children by the culture secretary, Tessa Jowell, in December. Its research concluded that a ban would be ineffective in tackling obesity and would disproportionately affect television industry revenues.
It acknowledged that TV advertising had "a modest direct effect on children's food consumption" but said its significance was small. Research among parents found a majority supported a ban on food ads during children's airtime and almost half supported a ban anytime before 9pm.
Ms Jowell said the report's evidence showed the issue of children's health and diet could not be left entirely to the free market but action would have to wait for the white paper later this year. "I am not going to rule anything in or out now," she said.
Consumer groups called for tougher action. Sue Davies, policy adviser at the Consumers' Association, said: "The conclusions of the Ofcom report will do little to address the diet and health crisis. This is yet another example of the government passing the buck from one department to another. The time for stalling is over."
The National Consumer Council also wants stricter controls on food ads before the 9pm watershed.
MPs have called for a voluntary withdrawal of TV advertising and doctors have voted for a ban on all food ads aimed at children under 12.
