The death of ‘buy one, get one free’ deals is nigh
The government is pressing ahead with plans to ban ‘buy one get one free’ (BOGOF) supermarket deals despite its own predictions it will barely reduce calorie intake.
The controversial policy was first announced as part of then-prime minister Boris Johnson’s obesity crackdown in 2020.
The Tories have now faced a backlash from its own backbench as the Department for Health and Social Care’s (DHSC) own research found the plans would cause a minimal reduction of daily calorie consumption, the Telegraph reports.
Children under 10 are only expected to consume 2.5 fewer calories a day if BOGOF deals are scrapped, with adult men consuming 3.7 fewer and adult women 2.8 calories fewer.
But the government insists the policy needs to be looked at in conjunction with their other policies.
A spokesman for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: ‘As ever, with our approach to obesity, we know that it is a cumulative impact rather than just looking at a policy in isolation.
‘We have taken a concerted approach to dealing with obesity, which costs the NHS billions of pounds a year, and we will continue to do so.
‘It is important not to look at a single policy on this… There’s no plan to change our approach.’
Tory MPs have urged the government to rethink the move and ‘keep their hands off people’s BOGOFs’.
Ben Bradley, MP for Mansfield, said: ‘It’s not the government’s job to make people thin – it’s our own personal responsibility.’
Greg Smith, the MP for Buckingham, said: ‘It is no business of any government telling them what they should or should not eat, how they should see adverts for it, what shopkeepers are able to offer, or where they can put a chocolate orange on their shelves.
‘I would say it’s nuts, but the fanatics are probably opposed to the natural oils in those too.’
DHSC sources say the planned restriction of BOGOF deals was delayed last May due to the cost of living crisis.
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