Advertising bar

"A Mars a day helps you work, rest and play" must be one of the most memorable advertising slogans ever. I grew up with Mars adverts and Mars slogans; however, I didn't grow up eating Mars bars. The ads tried to make lots of sugar, glucose and "thick, thick chocolate" sound nutritious, but, luckily for me, my parents weren't convinced.

Today, it seems, parents can't say no to their children. According to Department of Health statistics, one million British children will be obese by 2010 if eating habits do not change. Health campaigners believe there is a connection between junk food adverts and childhood obesity and want manufacturers to stop marketing their products to children. Last year, a report by the consumer organization Which? said that several confectionery and food companies, including Masterfoods, used "underhand" tactics to market junk food to children. The tactics included free downloads, viral e-mails and the use of sporting heroes.

This week, Masterfoods, the makers of Mars, Snickers and Maltesers, seem to agree. They have promised that they will no longer market sweets to children under the age of 12. As a result, the Mars adverts will not longer be shown at a time when children under 12 could be watching TV. (But who really knows when that is?)

The ban on advertising includes sponsorship, web sites and more traditional forms of advertising such as magazines. Although it covers the internet, it is unclear how the company will stop children under 12 surfing its web sites or other sites, such as YouTube, where many adverts are available.