Ministers delay ban on multi-pack junk food by one year

[dragggonsden]

I'm pretty shocked at this headline this morning. Buy-one-get-one-free on junk food is set to continue for a year longer than planned because of the cost of living crisis. Don't ministers realise that shops use this as a loss leader, and that it therefore makes healthier food more expensive?

BBC News - Junk food: Ministers to delay ban on multi-buy deals
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-61443047

Well i dont think i could get too worked up about this tbh. Yes, it's not ideal but people like a treat and times are hard.

They use it as a loss leader but it doesn't follow that they recoup that loss on healthier food. They recoup it on accompanying junk food. For example there's a deal on doritos- profit on salsa. Deal on gin - profit on tonic.

They don't expect to recoup their loss on beers, on the cucumbers lol

Your argument only is applicable if everyone knew how to cook with fresh healthier ingredients. A lot of people don't so 2 packs of nuggets for a quid is helpful at the minute if you're skint and can't cook.

People just want to be able to feed their families cheaply at the moment.

We're not obese as a nation because snack food is available. It's a highly complex combination of, not limited to:
High stress, leisure poor jobs make exercise less possible and comfort eating more likely.
Time poor don't have time to make healthy food from scratch.
Some people lack the knowledge to do the above.
Fruits and vegetables are expensive and meat, eggs and dairy are cheaper as subsidised by the government.
Mental health is at an all time low. Many anti depressants cause weight gain.
It's less safe and practical to cycle or walk than drive.

Banning junk food is pointless. All foods are fine in moderation. They'd be better off putting in safe cycle routes, increasing the living wage, encouraging employers to offer more flexible working hours at a liveable wage and subsidising vegetables.
But it's easier to ban bogof.

I've been up since 6. I'm having to read to not disturb the rest of the house. There seems to be one woman a day being murdered by a man in her household, in the city I live in. There's been numerous policeman jailed for crimes against women. There's record profits by energy suppliers. Is this really what's shocked you today?

Oh yeah let's charge people more for the only treats they can afford to enjoy at the moment because of the extortionate rises in the cost of living.

If a parent can't afford to buy DC's an ice cream at the park I have no issue with them having a 2 for 1 offer on in the supermarket which means the kiddos won't miss out.

I don’t really agree with this kind of state intervention.

what next obese poor people are only allowed to buy food using stamps for fresh produce?

Very nice for you if you don't want deals on chocolate bars and crisps. Many people do. The prices of so many things are going crazy. Families want to be able to afford chocolate bars. If you don't want them, don't buy them. They should be affordable. Leave people able to give their children a bar of chocolate.

Fruits and vegetables are expensive and meat, eggs and dairy are cheaper as subsidised by the government

I'm not sure that holds up to scrutiny.

Plus, farm subsidies are going. Farmers are going to have to start charging an awful lot more for what they produce just to break even let a lone make anything resembling a profit.

I don't agree with this ban anyway, should be delayed permanently. If you don't want the snacks op, don't buy them.

It's been suggested that supermarket meal deals should be banned to fight obesity. A sandwich a bag of crisps and a drink everyday doesn't cause obesity.
Excessive eating causes obesity.
Why aren't they banning McDonalds, KFC , Greggs, all pasty shops and takeaways?

"It's been suggested that supermarket meal deals should be banned to fight obesity"
"Excessive eating causes obesity."

Excessive consumption of calories causes obesity. I'd rather they tell the food manufacturers to stop using cheap products, which put the calories up. This isn't done to keep food cheap, it's done to maximise profits. That's for things like sandwiches and ready meals.

People are not obese because of BOGOF offers on twirls.

the causes are so much more complex, but difficult to address. Food retailers will have to spend millions implementing completely pointless legislation. That’s millions which could be invested in the cost of food, or in wages,

it’s ridiculous, harmful nanny state bullshit and the entire programme should be scrapped immediately.

It's been suggested that supermarket meal deals should be banned to fight obesity. A sandwich a bag of crisps and a drink everyday doesn't cause obesity. Excessive eating causes obesity. Why aren't they banning McDonalds, KFC , Greggs, all pasty shops and takeaways?

Absolutely. The McDonalds wrap of the day is £1.99. If you have that as a meal it's £3.79 I think. That's cheaper than most supermarket meal deals now.

I cook from scratch for the majority of our meals (perhaps a takeaway once a month, or a meal out instead), but even without having under 18s in my household, I still use the multibuys for packed lunches, as between the three of us, there are 13 of those to cater for a week.

Household comprised of adults will use them too. Why should we be penalised?

Ultimately if people want them they will buy them - it will just mean less money for something else if they are more expensive.

Healthy food won’t go down in price if they ban BOGOFs on junk. If you don’t want them, don’t buy them.

I wish the government would stop bloody interfering; I can’t tolerate any sweeteners but it’s getting harder and harder to find a drink without them, especially if I’m out for the day. I want something nice and with flavour, not water or tea which I have normally at home. I can’t even have alcohol due to my medication 🙁

You can healthily have McDonalds wrap of the day with wrap, water and carrot sticks/ side salad for around 600 calories. Not an unreasonable amount of energy if you choose sensibly. The fries and soft drink (adding on an extra 400 if full sugar) are not obligatory.

I went to McDonalds on a 5:2 fast day this week for chicken salad and water. Roughly 250 calories. Kept me going happily and saved over-hungry temptation while waiting to cook fish and vegetables at home.

Being aware of the choices on offer makes a difference, and choosing to pay attention to what your body needs which can be out of synch with what it desires.
A supermarket sandwich is often not that favourable against other fast foods.

If you want people to change, create the conditions they need to be able to do it. Stress, anxiety and poverty all make a significant contribution to obesity. If you and this Govt are serious about tackling obesity start there, because you will also make a significant positive contribution to people's quality of life.

@BogRollBOGOF and you can buy a salad, fruit pot and water in a Sainsbury's's meal deal. Again, all about sensible choices. Stopping that convenience means people are more likely to eat pot noodles and microwave burgers IMO. We like convenience.

I do think they need to accompany this with measures to make healthy food cheaper and more accessible but I disagree with the notion of ‘don’t like it, don’t buy it’. We are all paying for the cost of the impact of obesity and poor diet on the NHS (eg diabetes, heart disease, NAFLD, bowel cancer, kidney disease, vascular dementia, stroke…) so it does affect everyone. Especially as NI has already gone up, cutting into people’s budgets.

I know, but do you think prices will really come down in the future?

Personally I don’t think that this is a blip. I think it’s permanent.

It suits the government to pretend it’s temporary, just a year, blah blah bullshit…

So we all have to get used to eating crap. Which is grim, really grim, when you look at the health outcomes of poorer people in the UK.

Fair enough but NI won’t come down, healthy food won’t become cheaper. Obesity and being overweight have deeper causes than just eating too many crisps.

I’m overweight, I work shifts and have a commute to get there. I try and take my own, home cooked food to work but don’t always manage. I want something warm and filling so I’ll often get a bacon barm and hot chocolate, especially in winter as I work outside.

I try and exercise but I’m shattered after 0430 get ups and don’t have a lot of time on lates due to the commute. I then get in after 9pm and just want a tea and some chocolate.

Like a pp said, if our way of working chanted, many of us could be healthier. I’ve never had a boss that allowed WFH, apart from very exceptional circumstances. Nor one that wanted to veer from the 9-5, which takes away a lot of opportunities for leisure.

I can't remember the last time I saw a BOGOF deal. A thing of the past, surely?