In its 15th report, ‘Healthy Families: The Present and Future Role of the Supermarket’, the All Party-Parliamentary Group (APPG) on a Fit and Healthy Childhood, whose members include cross-party MPs, outlines how supermarkets can help solve the obesity epidemic by helping families to make healthy changes.
The report states, ‘Supermarkets have become accustomed to the sharp end of a traditionally bad press. Familiar food stores stand accused of nudging unwitting customers into unhealthy buying and encouraging a promotional environment at variance with healthy eating guidelines.
‘Yet by educating and empowering individual family units to make healthy changes, supermarkets can drive the solution to the obesity epidemic instead of attracting a substantial share of the blame.’
The report goes on to make a number of recommendations for change in supermarkets, including:
- Re-balancing promotions away from products that are high in fat, sugar and/or salt (HFSS) to healthier foods so families experiencing food poverty can enjoy greater access to them.
- Offering price discounts and promotions on healthy foods such as fruit and vegetables.
- Controlling the criteria for child eye-level in the placing of products.
- Offering promotions on healthier, culturally-appropriate products to engage people from ethnic minority groups.
Comments
Chair of the APPG on a Fit and Healthy Childhood Steve McCabe said, ‘Supermarkets are often seen as the pantomime villain in a national battle against obesity and associated serious health conditions.
‘The charge list against supermarkets includes nudging shoppers into unhealthy purchases to get cash tills ringing, perpetuating an obesogenic environment at odds with Government healthy eating guidelines and fuelling “pester power” at the expense of cash-strapped families.
‘Our report shows that supermarkets can take a leading role in helping to solve the obesity epidemic. They have a unique place in the hearts of UK families and it’s time for them to step up in the 21st century cause of safeguarding the health of the population and the planet.’
The report’s lead author Helen Clark emphasised the Government’s role in tackling obesity and working with supermarkets to achieve change.
‘The Government must work with leading supermarkets to provide advice in-store on how to consume a diet that is consistent with the Eatwell Guide in a low-income environment,' she said. 'Policy makers should also provide more information via health and education campaigns about the psychology of shopping and the importance to the family of meal planning.
‘A significant proportion of food and drink high in fat, sugar and/or salt is bought on temporary price reduction and any mechanism to reduce the purchase of unhealthy food and drink on this type of offer has potential for significant gains in tackling obesity. The Government should consider the application of legislative controls (with built-in review process) on price and multi-buy promotions.
‘It is the Government’s duty to ensure that all households can thrive as well as survive and policies must ultimately be directed to making healthy food less expensive than unhealthy food for the benefit of all families – and supermarket shoppers - in the UK.’
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said, 'Obesity can have serious consequences for anyone’s health. Our goal is to halve childhood obesity rates by 2030 and prioritise prevention so it is easier for families to make healthier choices to live longer and healthier lives.'
- The report is available here