The report, undertaken by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and the Department of Health, indicated that teenagers, especially girls, are eating far too much sugary fizzy drinks, chocolate, crisps and other junk food.

Just 7 per cent of girls between the ages of 11 and 18 eat the recommended 5-a-day portions of fruit and vegetables, while more than two in five girls of this age group do not consume enough iron, magnesium and other key nutrients. The FSA said this was a "concern" and something they were trying to rectify by promoting its health message to teenagers on Facebook.