To think peoples lives are crap enough without needing the government to interfere with Meal Deals

[Jeansmeansheinz]

FFS just let people have the pleasure of a Meal Deal. I really don't need the Government telling me what I can and can't eat.

That does sound very high. I wonder how much this will change it

So what has made you fat, then? Genuinely interested.

I think it's pretty shocking that 60% of Welsh people are overweight, tbh. People don't want the government to make it more expensive for people to buy crap, then complain about the NHS when so many ailments wouldn't exist if people just lost some weight and stopped eating garbage.

The 'healthy eating' people should be struggling less, yes, because it is cheaper to eat healthily, IF you are reasonably good at cooking.
The 'unhealthy' eaters are spending more on food AND they're likely to be getting fatter and also more likely to be tired because not eating properly and more likely to get health issues in the future.

The key is taxing unhealthy food and using it to subsidise healthy food. Also cooking lessons free, and for those who are really struggling possibly actually pay employers to provide them or pay people to go in their spare time or whatever. Any cost would be recouped in the future. Obese people cost the NHS twice as much as slim people.

In a word yes. life is crap enough. Surely to God we are allowed meal deals

Typical Welsh Labour really. Instead of focusing on the reasons why people aren't eating healthy options (too expensive, time poor) and providing real solutions that will help for the long term, they're declaring that they'll tackle obesity by removing meal deals and BOGOF.

Unhelpful and punitive.

OP totally agree I made the joke to my DH that they've cracked the answer to obesity lol 😂 but seriously how do they think it will help, same with sugar tax come on GOVERNMENT people will just pay more/ buy separately if they want those
Foods!!!

Afaik They are not banning all deals
Just unhealthy ones

Give over. The UK is full of fat people. It used not to be 30 years ago.

UPF and fast food is going to make for an unhealthy life, even if it's longer, it's a medical mess. The food industry are using us to make non food addictive and the government should regulate it.

You're quite right about the root cause of the problem.

But stuff like this is window dressing and I doubt it'll achieve much. We have an obesogenic society. I'm not sure people who buy meal deals now are going to do anything healthier instead, because the causative factors will still be there.

The reality for many is that they work bloody hard and long hours for absolutely terrible pay, while paying for ridiculously expensive and not great housing. They are knackered at the end of the day and may not want to 'cook from scratch.' Attitudes like this make me think people have never actually hit very hard times.

There may be many reasons for obesity in Wales. Poverty presumably is a factor. It's obviously going to be easier and cheaper to get some crisps or biscuits in Poundland than it is to say cook meat or fish and vegetables, which is now unaffordable for many. Being very poor is depressing as well. I really think this is the wrong approach and won't help anyone, it will just add to the misery.

This is what I meant by wider obesogenic society. The factors causing meal deals to be popular will still be in place.

The UK is full of fat people. It used not to be 30 years ago.

Way more people used to smoke

This is often why it’s avoided. It adds stress and increases cost which makes people want similar food again

The leading cause of death on our planet, by some way, is cardiovascular disease.
The primary risk factor for cardiovascular disease is hypertension or high blood pressure.
High blood pressure is caused by obesity, excessive salt consumption, being sedentary and genetics.

the govt kind of has a point on the meal deals

I remember saying exactly this in the 1990s on a radio call in. Everyone disagreed with me.

We we are reaping what we sow. There are so many people who are so unhealthy that they can't work and millions with diabetes, many of whom don't even know they have it.

I agree OP. Morale in my workplace would be seriously undermined if we couldn't continue our ongoing competition to achieve the best savings on our Tesco meal deals. So far Sushi, Innocent Blue Spark and some fancy health bar are the winner, so it's not even as bad as what we would get in the canteen.

I'd be more inclined to support this if they were going to subsidise healthy choices...but...

WTF. Nothing wrong with a meal deal. 600 calories isn't going to cause obesity. Whose idea is this hair-brained plan? Twats.

Yes and now they vape which is just as bad.

I agree with the principle but can't see it making a huge amount of difference, surely it's takeaways that would make more of an impact. Plus for a lot of people they just grab a meal deal on the way to work, often in hard jobs, long hours with a very minimal break so they'll just grab something else instead, maybe even less healthy they'll forgo the sandwich and just have a mars bar and some crisps.

I eat healthily and I am struggling financially at the moment due to being on maternity pay.
I don't buy meal deals because I can't afford them. I batch cook meals that are fresh and home cooked. Today's lunch was a salad with fried chickpeas and aubergine in paprika and garlic with a tahini and lemon dressing and a banana. My lunch cost probably less than £2 for todays portion, was far more nutritious than a meal deal and I've made enough for 3 more lunches this week.
Eating healthy doesn't have to cost the absolute earth, you just have to prepare food and meal plan.

The only way it will change is if food is less available. I see where I live going totally the opposite way. Endless cafes, ice cream parlours, kebab houses, pizza, noodles, pasties.

It's designed to make you eat. It used not to be like this. The reason people were thin was because they cooked their own food, they did not eat this stuff which is calorie dense like a meal deal.

Smoking is nothing. It's diet. If people looked at fast food in the way they look at cigarettes it would be a good start.

I’m overweight, might be obese (I don’t weigh myself). I know I get taken in by the deals. I go to just get a sandwich but then there is the deal and I might add crisps. If there was a banana instead I’d have that or no deal and just the sandwich. Is this my fault - yes. I know it’s will power I have no illness that causes it.

It might help me not having that deal. It will help the NHS if some of us aren’t as fat. I would like to see any evidence of success/failure research into trials either here or abroad of similar schemes before it is rolled out though.

OP you say it isn’t a priority with the costs rising but ill health may be as expensive for the individual financially not just pain. If you have diabetes or heart disease these are likely to mean time off work or possibly being unable to work. (As well any pain/treatment etc) Just that but worse for a family struggling on low wages.

But the alternative isnt' just meat and fish. There are lots of cheap foods like beans and lentils which are nutritious and filling.

Seems comparable figure for England is 62% overweight. (I'm assuming we mean overweight or obese).

I live in Wales and I love to get a sushi based meal deal, usually spread it over two meals. So I am sorry to read this.

I've always wished they'd throw in more fruit, salad and dairy options. Yoghurt, cheese, or decent piece of fruit would be a very acceptable option. Milk as a drink and for my tea later.

The waste does bother me enough to make this rarer than previously. So some bakery choices would be good too.

I am happy to volunteer for any focus group. I give this a lot of thought 😋