Over half of parents in England are pestered by their children to buy junk food while food shopping, survey suggests

A study using a nationally representative survey of parents in England, presented at the European Congress on Obesity (ECO 2026, Istanbul, Turkey, 12–15 May), reveals that over half (58%) of parents are frequently pestered by their children or teens to purchase products high in fats, salts and/or sugar (HFSS) when food shopping in stores or online, and almost three-quarters (72%) reported often buying the requested item.