Junk food ads and TV sport: Toxic telly

Imagine this: Thousands of children in Ireland were enjoying World Cup knockout matches on television, enjoying brilliant football being played by the sport’s top idols, none of whom — it will be apparent to the even the most casual viewer — are obese.

The football is not all they were seeing on the screen: More than 1,350 advertisements for food and drinks high in salt, fat and sugar were beamed into homes during the knockout stage, reports the Irish Heart Foundation (IHF).