Supermarket Junk Food Warning

According to a survey by LighterLife of the average £65 weekly spend at the supermarket, shoppers are shelling out £17.22 on 'naughty' foods such as chocolate, alcohol, biscuits, crisps and soft drinks - the equivalent of 26% of all supermarket purchases. And this before any 'top up' mid week shops, petrol station purchases, morning coffee runs or lunchtime impulse purchases.

ASDA shoppers are worst and spending the most on unhealthy food at £18.23. The 'healthiest' shoppers were from Tesco, spending £16.65 on junk items. Research into shopper attitudes shows consumers often don't realise what they are buying. Whilst many shoppers aim to stick to shopping lists and best intentions, temptation can prove to be too much.

The survey also revealed that:

- Over a third (37%) of those questioned said that every time they go to the supermarket they overspend their set budget because they are too tempted by what they see as treats (Fat fact: It

takes just 3,500 calories to put on a pound)

- 39% confessed that they expect to overspend on 'naughty treats' even if they didn't plan to buy them (Fat fact: Average yearly spend on junk food equals GBP895 per person )

- A staggering 81% of people also admitted to buying additional snacks outside of the supermarket shop. (Fat fact: Just one latte a day can add up to 1 stone in weight gain and GBP600 a year)

In 2008, almost a quarter of adults (24% of men and 25% of women aged 16 or over) in England were classified as obese. In the same year, the number of prescription items dispensed for the treatment of obesityExcess accumulation of fat in the body. was 1.28million; this is ten times the number in 1999 (127,000).

Professor Iain Broom, Medical Director of LighterLife and a leading expert on obesity, says: "The cost of obesity, both to an individual's health and to the NHS, is significant and growing. As a nation, this issue needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency. Too many of us abuse our bodies by choosing the wrong foods, in the wrong quantities, and in extreme situations this can lead to a dramatic reduction in life expectancy."

Anyone concerned that their diet might be causing heart disease should read this article by Cardiologist Avijit Lahiri.