Jane Johnson, former editor of Closer and The Sun's Fabulous magazine, told the BBC that magazines do care about their readers and are very careful about the advice they give.

BBC: Magazine 'miracle' diets should be 'dropped'

It has dominated the columns of Italian newspapers and magazines and been the subject of TV programmes, the BBC's David Willey in Rome reports.

BBC: Vatican launches criminal probe into unauthorised leaks

Its commercial arm, BBC Worldwide, which runs everything from foreign television networks to children's magazines, is growing and profitable.

ECONOMIST: The BBC under fire

"But MEPs were concerned that it was a foot in the door for pharmaceutical companies to promote their products through newspapers and magazines and would not lead to better information for consumers but confusion, " he told BBC News Online.

BBC: MEPs vote against drug 'advertising'