The Commons health committee has attacked ministers and the food industry for failing to tackle Britain's growing obesity epidemic.

The report has received widespread coverage in today's papers and sets out 69 different recommendations including a voluntary withdrawal of television advertising of junk food to children.

The scale of the problem is highlighted by the case of a three-year old who recently died in hospital of heart failure.

The MPs call for a "traffic light" system under which foods high in calories are marked with a red label, while those low in calories have green labels.

Current policies have left the NHS "failing" both to prevent obesity and tackle illnesses that arise from it, said the report.

The MPs stopped short of calling for a "fat tax" on foods but urged the government to "keep an open mind" on the issue.

Health secretary John Reid defended the government's record, highlighting measures including making fruit available free to children aged between four and six, and improving school sports facilities.

"We share the committee's concern about the seriousness of the health impact of obesity," he said.

"It is one of the key issues which will be addressed in our white paper on public health later this year."

Shadow health secretary Tim Yeo said the government had "failed to tackle the problem of obesity".

"After seven years in office, and a disastrously muddled attitude to public health, it's time the government gave this crucial issue the attention it deserves," he said.