MORE than 30,000 people have signed a petition calling to ban junk food adverts before the watershed in a bid to cut down on the one in three children now classed as obese or overweight.

More than two-thirds (71 per cent) of parents in Scotland said they think the Government should introduce stricter regulations on the food industry to better control how junk food is advertised to children.

Three in five (58 per cent) said they believe that stopping children being exposed to junk food adverts could help towards tackling the obesity crisis amongst youngsters.

Well over half (56 per cent) said that adverts promoting foods that are high in saturated fat, salt and sugar effect what their children want to eat, while 52 per cent said junk food adverts make it harder for them to say no to their children or get them to eat healthily.

Around 30 per cent of children in Scotland are overweight or obese but the British Heart Foundation (BHF), which commissioned the survey of 2,000 UK adults, said loopholes in the regulatory system mean that junk food adverts that are banned during children's programming can still be shown during family shows.

BHF director of policy Mike Hobday said: "Junk food companies are exploiting legal loopholes in the regulatory system, allowing them to continue bombarding children with junk food adverts.

"By protecting young people against the sophisticated marketing techniques of junk food advertisers we can help tackle the obesity crisis which threatens the heart health of future generations.

"We urge the UK Government to heed the public's clear call and take immediate action."