One of the more ambitious attempts to change a nation’s lifestyle is launched on Friday with the start of a three-year campaign between government, the food and fitness industries and charities to tackle the rising tide of obesity.

The campaign, which is branded “Change4Life”, kicks off with £8m worth of television advertisements that will feed into a wide range of initiatives to get people eating better and exercising more. Some of the initiatives will be supported by the very businesses whose products contribute most to the problem when over-consumed.