Parents need to be armed with guidance on infant nutrition while their children are still eating in travel high chairs.

According to the British Dietetic Association, too much emphasis is placed on schools' responsibility for encouraging youngsters to eat healthily.

However, spokesperson Tanya Haffner said there needs to be "more education all round" to ensure that pre-school kids are consuming a balanced diet.

She said all angles of lifestyle need to be addressed, including accessibility to exercise and sports facilities in local communities.

"There's a lot less emphasis on the family and helping the parents, so it's a multi approach that we need," Ms Haffner remarked.

She was reacting to recent research by University College London on the effect of junk food advertising to children.

The data, published in the Journal of Public Health Nutrition, found that marketing of these foods has an effect on the eating habits of six to 11 year olds and that banning this type of advertising would cut childhood obesity.

Ms Haffner concluded: "The power of advertising is phenomenal."

Posted by Ed SaltersADNFCR-3005-ID-19843042-ADNFCR