'Buy one, get one free' deals for unhealthy food banned in England. This isn't going to solve the obesity crisis

[Antimimisti]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c89d54gv44qo

"Multi-buy promotions do not save people money – in fact, they encourage them to spend more.
"They are designed to encourage impulsive purchases and to normalise buying more and more frequently."
He [Greg Fell, president of the Association of Public Health Directors] said he hoped retailers would now turn towards promoting healthy products more, to make healthier choices easier and more accessible.

Is this true? I don't think it reflects my shopping habits. If I buy something on a multi-buy it's because I'd be buying more than one anyway and it's a bonus to get it cheaper. It isn't the case that because I buy two, I eat two in the same timeframe I'd only normally have eaten one.

My thoughts are this initiative is likely to make things harder for people, especially those with large families to feed. I'm all for restricting advertising of junk food, but supermarkets should be able to set their own pricing.

If the government is worried about junk food consumption in England, why don't they stop councils allowing multiple fast food outlets and Drive Thru McDonalds to spring up in towns? Why don't they start a junk food tax on Deliveroo etc.?

It’s definitely a step in the right direction. This isn’t ‘food’, it’s mostly manufactured shite. The only chocolate that is decent is good quality dark and maybe some milks. No-one should be eating these products on a regular basis, but there should be promotions on fruit/veg and single ingredient foods. Plus education about UPFs and the food industry needs to start from childhood onwards.

Well us but that's because that's all the fruit my sensory child will actually eat so...

But for single people I get its impractical

I’m interested to see how this will look in reality. I don’t see BOGOF much these days but places like Iceland and Farm Foods do 10 for £10 sometimes and Wetherspoons do free refills on hot chocolates, will they no longer be allowed?

Of course they can - they can sell stuff at whatever rate they want to.

I dont think the obesity crisis is caused by junk food offers everything comes with added suger/sweeteners these days there is no need to put it in half the stuff

Why is there suger in cat foods they dont recognise sweet food they dont have the gene for it but its there, same with human food does pizza base need sugar? No but its there chicken nuggets? In there even fish fingers have sugar in them they never used to there is no need for it but it suits the industry to put it in we naturally crave sweet things make everything sweet we will crave more of it and so it goes on

The government's have been told this they have been told sweetners themselves are an issue they do nothing this isn't the first time a government has gone after bogof deals im sure it won't be the last but its pointless vote harvesting from people who dont know the difference between mouthing platitudes and actually taking action that would make a difference

@Theunamedcat - sugar is a preservative, filler and can mask unpleasant (eg acidic) taste.

That's why it is in almost everything.... plus it's cheap.

I’ve always thought that multipacks being cheaper than a single item encourages people to eat more.
My own Mum (who was ultra strict on junk when I was a child) has upgraded my kids from a single packet of sweets or chocolate bar to a multi pack each because it’s cheaper.

Well, it’s a step in the right direction. UPF = serious money, so I’m sure these companies will do their best to mitigate this situation.

Next, we need to find a way encourage people to not buy any of it in the first place.

That will involve some serious investigation into how our modern lives contribute to obesity.

Lots of cuisines are highly sugared, lots of savoury foods in other countries and some countries have a tradition of lots of sweet cakes and pastries as part of their diet. There is nothing intrinsically wrong with sugar per se

What is wrong with our food culture is eating large amounts as portions, too often, too many snacks, teaching our children they need to be eating constantly.

We are squeamish about food, dont like anything smelly (ie fresh fish, smoked preserved foods) we dont like touching and preparing food (meats, fish, dirty veg)
We come to accept packaged foods as the norm
We rejected foods that have lumps, scrapes, holes, funny shapes so all our fruit and veg in major supermarkets is tasteless and watery
We have a culture where we think that children should eat differently and separately to their parents and the adults around them

In european countries there is far less of this, consequently they have better diets and better nutrition

To be fair look at things like free from, gluten free etc- these and things like meat and milk are the things I feel it’s a pity they never put on deal.

Milk is a loss leader already so they're not going to do bogof for them I think

All the 'free from' stuff is packaged UPF things anyway, its not necessary.

My kids!

Cheap unhealthy food does drive obesity and provide a range of health problems

no one in full time work should be unable to afford basic healthy food but the food industry have twisted our idea of normal food costs by making unhealthy cheap rubbish packaged as food so now we spend that money on homes not food

the solutions to society problems won’t come form one simple action but from a concerted effort to change

if so I absolutely agree : chicken + bag of carrots and bag of potatoes would be much more attractive and sensible.

That will involve some serious investigation into how our modern lives contribute to obesity

We don't need research into this.

Time poor & limited cooking skills & being on a budget leads us to buy ready made food/ UPF foods.

If the government really wants to tackle obesity, then they need to make cooking & nutrition a key subject in secondary school. Give people knowledge, power and skills to be healthy.

This needs to happen beside initiatives like banning bogof offers in supermarkets for fathers & calorific foods.

Semi agree with this, but equally how many people seem to dismiss good basic healthy foods as 'boring' and not exciting or varied enough

Another thread recently about the cost of living had a number of posters citing an articule that had been written about someone creating some batch cooking and a number of meals for 20 quid as 'depressing'.

The food looked gorgeous to me, the things I would eat.

Another thread running at the moment about condiments in the fridge, many posters saying they would chuck stuff if they've been opened for a time. Completely unnecessary but you wont get food manufacturers to back any campaign about removing use by dates or BBE dates, they dont want someone getting ill (remote chance) and blaming them and they certainly dont want their food to last longer in your cupboards because otherwise you wont buy as much

Are they going to target meal deals? I was surprised that pasties count as snacks for example.

Keeps hitting headlines a something Wales is planning to do soon or what's in them at least - that and get rid of free re-fill of soft drinks that some restaurants do - not all do and most I think are sugar free anyway.

I can't say I think it the big answer to obesity - but I assume they must have some basis for this.

My point is it doesn't need to be neither does sweeteners your fish fingers dont need sugar sweeteners and preservatives if the sugar is preserving it why are we adding more preservatives and why are we adding sweeteners anyway its fucking FISH FINGERS

soupyspoon

All the 'free from' stuff is packaged UPF things anyway, its not necessary.

So my son should just never have pasta, cereal or bread ever?! Bit extreme!!!

Is this true? I don’t think it reflects my shopping habits. If I buy something on a multi-buy it’s because I’d be buying more than one anyway

They wouldn’t offer BOGOF deals if they didn’t tempt people into buying what they weren’t going to originally. There’d be nothing in it for the brand/shop.

I don’t know whether I agree with the policy, but it’s silly to say those deals don’t encourage people to buy things they originally weren’t going to. That’s why they exist!

Bread you can make 'flat breads' from chickpea flour, assuming chickpeas are not the problem, cereal there are plenty of things you can replace with, rice and non gluten grains.

Pasta I thought there were alternatives that are not UPF

But yes, guess what, you cant have everything you want. Theres quite a few things I cant eat any more, thats life.

Unless you want to eat that stuff of course and then its fine. I was just talking about my own preferences. (and I do eat things that are UPF when I fancy it, I just dont think it should be standard in diets)

Chickpea bread for jam sandwiches sounds rank quite frankly

You can't have what you want is a fucking dismal way to live there is no reason why free from products cannot be made with less ingredients they are just making as many long life as possible and yes adding in unacceptable ingredients like sweetners and excess suger in bread ive been gluten free for over 20 years they add suger in excess now so it "toasts" faster i get it but it tastes horrible now worse than it did before the suger and shite was added in

And no way will they last five days.
Fruit and veg is so poor now no matter where you buy it from.
Markies is ok but generally short dated.

I think you're ranting at the wrong person, I am not a food manufacturer. I dont believe in lots of additives.

Chickpea bread like socca is used for all sorts of toppings, not necessarily sweet of course but to stamp your foot and dismiss things out of hand and have a childlike attitude that everyone can have everything when clearly they cant is somewhat misguided.

I just be thick but I don’t understand the issue. You can feeeze most bogofs so that’s what I go often. Must be saving me money eat the free one later.

it’s nanny state again