Children are increasingly dictating household food purchases, with new research revealing that parents frequently succumb to demands for junk food . A study presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Istanbul highlights the significant pester power parents across England face during their weekly food shop. More than half (58%) of 1,050 parents surveyed admitted their children or teenagers frequently pester them to buy products high in fat, salt, or sugar . Consequently, nearly three-quarters (72%) of parents reported often purchasing the requested items. Many parents (59%) also confessed to being swayed by price promotions and in-store offers, leading to unplanned food purchases, while 52% attributed these buys to shopping with children. Lead researcher Emma Boyland, a professor of food marketing and child health at the University of Liverpool, stated: "While children might not be paying the bill at the checkout, their influence over their parents’ purchasing decisions is very real.…