Sugary supermarket deals harming Scots' health

Cheap supermarket deals are encouraging Scots to stock up on products containing 110 tonnes of sugar a day, a cancer charity has warned.

Special offers flogging cut-price unhealthy drinks and food are prompting people to buy products holding the equivalent of the sugar packed into 4.3 million chocolate bars or 3.1 million cans of cola.

Cancer Research UK, which carried out the study, called on the Scottish Government to restrict supermarket multi-buy offers and promotions on unhealthy food to reduce the risk of obesity related cancers.

Based on data provided by Food Standards Scotland, the study found that 54 per cent of soft drinks are bought on special deals, accounting for 13,672 tonnes of sugar a year, while confectionary bought on offer makes up 52 per cent, or 12,336 tonnes of sugar every year.

Cancer Research UK cancer prevention expert Professor Linda Bauld, based at the University of Stirling, said “urgent action” was needed to prevent cancer in the future. She said: “Obesity is the unpalatable cost of the cheap deals routinely served up in our shops. We know that less healthy foods and drinks are more likely to be bought on promotion than healthier foods.

She added: “When it publishes its obesity strategy, the Scottish Government has a once in a generation opportunity to introduce measures that will have a profound impact on our lives. And with studies showing the most deprived in our society are more often obese and less likely to get their five-a-day of fruit and vegetables, much more needs to be done to make healthy options affordable instead.”

A spokesman for the Scottish Government said: “We are absolutely committed to reducing the deeply ingrained health inequalities which persist in Scotland.

“We recognise the need to shift the emphasis from dealing with the consequences of a poor diet to tackling the underlying causes, which is why we have consistently called on the UK government to ban junk food advertising before the 9pm watershed, reducing children’s exposure to the marketing of unhealthy food and drink.”

Kawther Hashem, a nutritionist at Action on Sugar, said: “It’s deeply concerning that many products laden with sugar are on promotion, and more must be done by both the government and manufacturers to prevent foods and drinks high in fat, salt and sugar being marketed to children and adults.”