Restaurants have been ordered to cut down the size of their puddings

Restaurants have been warned over sugary items (Getty)

High street restaurants have been warned by the government to cut the size of their unhealthy puddings or risk being named and shamed.

Some of the UK’s biggest chains such as Pizza Express, Starbucks and McDonald’s have been told to cut sugar levels and reduce the size of desserts, cakes and pastries.

The move is part of a government drive to tackle obesity and they fear our love of going to restaurants is making the nation’s waistline grow bigger.

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Health secretary Jeremy Hunt has told restaurants that they must do more in the fight to keep the nation healthy.

‘Going out to eat is no longer a treat,’ he said.

‘It’s a regular habit for many families and is contributing significantly to the extra calories and sugar that we all consume on a daily basis.

‘We can’t ignore the changing habits of consumers.

‘This means we expect the whole of the out-of-home sector - coffee shops, pubs and family restaurants, quick service restaurants, takeaways, cafes, contract caterers and mass catering suppliers - to step up and deliver on sugar reduction.’

A new website will tell consumers if restaurants are meeting the government’s plans and name those who aren’t.