Supermarkets Criticised for Displaying Sweets at the Checkout
A number of the UK’s leading supermarkets have been criticised for making it difficult for parents to encourage healthy eating habits in children by displaying sweets and chocolate bars at checkouts.
The Children’s Food Campaign said that Asda, Iceland and Morrisons were the worst offenders, but also criticised the Co-operative, Sainsburys, Waitrose and Tesco for placing unhealthy treats near the tills. The report revealed that none of the traditional supermarkets displayed healthy foods near the tills.
The ‘Checkouts Checked Out’ report also revealed that other stores, including HMV, WHSmith and New Look also exhibited confectionary close to the till points. In a survey, Sainsbury’s was the only shop to avoid displaying ‘impulse confectionary’ at the checkout but the company did admit to displaying seasonal treats. The report did praise Waitrose’s Oxford Circus store for filling the shelves near checkouts with fresh fruit and healthy snacks and called for this to be widespread in supermarkets and shops.
Advertising confectionary so blatantly has undoubtedly made it more difficult for parents to avoid adding confectionary to their baskets when taking children shopping and this has implications for children’s overall and oral health. Rates of child obesity are increasing year on year in the UK as a result of poor eating habits, coupled with an increasingly sedentary lifestyle and dentists are reporting seeing more and more very young children with severe tooth decay. Children as young as 2 years old are being referred to hospitals to have teeth extracted under general anaesthetic.
The Children’s Food Campaign is now calling for the Advertising Standards Authority to enforce better regulation of the promotion of fatty and sugary foods
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