In a letter published in The Times Jamie Oliver has hit out at sporting heroes such as David Beckham and Gary Lineker who he says promote junk food.
The letter, which was signed by Dr Hilary Cass, President of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, the National Association of Head Teachers President Steve Iredale, Children’s Food Campaign director Charlie Powell and London cardiologist Dr Aseem Malhotra, said: ‘On the eve of the London Olympics we, a group with a vested interest in improving the health and well being of young people, express our grave concern about this trend.
‘We believe it is wrong for athletes to encourage the excessive consumption of such items, which are fuelling poor health and obesity,’ it further emphasised. ‘David Beckham is a great sportsman, yet he has endorsed Pepsi. What about the impact of Gary Lineker’s association with Walkers crisps? Or the partnership between Mars and the FA?’
The letter said that in their view companies were creating a ‘halo effect’ by linking junk food and sports. Dr Malhotra called for a total ban on junk food sponsorship of the Olympics saying the fact that McDonald’s and Coca-Cola are sponsoring the event is ‘perverse’.
Jamie Oliver has championed campaigns for children to have access to healthy diets and has centred much of his activity with school dinners.