YOUNG children who spend more than half an hour a day online are almost twice as likely to pester their parents for junk food, according to Cancer Research UK.

A study which examines the associations between diet and advertising of junk food on TV and the internet, questioned children and their parents in the South East and across the UK.

Teams from the University of Liverpool and Cancer Research UK asked almost 2,500 seven to 11-year-olds and their parents about their eating habits and how much screen time they had, outside of doing homework.

The results show primary school children who spent more than three hours on the web were more than four times more likely to spend their pocket money on chocolate, crisps, sugary drinks and takeaways than their peers who browsed for less than half an hour. These children were also 79% more likely to be overweight or obese while those who were online between 30 minutes and three hours a day were 53 per cent more likely to be carrying excess weight than those who were online for less.

Obesity is the biggest preventable cause of cancer in the UK after smoking. Cancer Research UK is calling for Government action on junk food advertising to children, on TV and the internet, as well as price promotions on ‘unhealthy foods’ in supermarkets.