In the future, sports personalities could be used far less for advertising unhealthy food to children.

The proposal is part of a series of options currently being considered by the Food Standards Agency which are concentrated upon tackling childhood and adult obesity in the UK.

The FSA has yet to make its final recommendations concerning new policies involving food promotion and children, but limiting the use of sport stars in advertising certain food groups is one of a series of possible options for action, according to the FSA’s website: www.food.gov.uk/promotion.

Another option is that food companies could be urged to voluntarily pledge that they will not pay for unhealthy food advertisements aimed at children. These companies could also be encouraged to subscribe to a code of conduct, whereby celebrity endorsement of foods geared towards children would be strictly monitored.

Meanwhile, those celebrities who continue to market and advertise unhealthy food could be targeted through the Football Association and other sports agencies and organisations.

The FSA also recognises the multi-faceted approach to food promotion. Any policy concerning advertising and marketing would have to contend not only with tv advertising but also SMS text messaging, sponsorship materials, point-of-sale promotions, vending machines and voucher schemes – all of which are often supported by powerful branding.

Meanwhile, fast food chain, McDonalds, has already been phasing ‘supersizing’ out of its restaurants during the past 12 months as part of an ongoing menu review and will also be introducing a new range of healthy dishes to its sites from April.

Rival chain Burger King will be removing salt from its chips for a trial period, to begin in April.

A spokesperson from McDonald’s, commenting on obesity and the responsibility the food industry must take, said: "The obesity debate is a very complex one and is widely recognised to include considerations not just of diet, but also individual responsibility and increasingly sedentary lifestyles. The food industry is committed to responding responsibly to the issue and recognises it can play a part in the solution.”

“McDonald's continues to demonstrate its commitment to providing increased choice and variety on our menu, allowing our customers to mix and match options to meet their lifestyle and nutritional needs. We also provide nutritional info on our website and on tray liners, which assist our customers in making informed choices.

We also encourage active lifestyles through our extensive grassroots community football programmes, committed to training 10,000 community coaches by 2006.” Details: www.foodstandards.gov.uk