According to a study, supermarket buyers who buy a lot of food with "two for one" formulas are more likely to be obese

SA large study suggests that supermarket buyers who buy a lot of food with "two for one" packages are much more likely to be obese.

Cancer Research UK found that the risk of obesity was 50% higher among those who ate the most food at a reduced price than among those whose participation was low.

The study of more than 16,000 households found that nearly one-third of the food and beverages purchased in British supermarket baskets had been purchased on promotion.

And the discounts were much more likely to be applied to unhealthy foods, with nearly half of all chocolate, chips, popcorn, and salty snacks being purchased on promotion.

Buyers whose baskets contained between 40% and 80% of promoted products were 54% more likely to be obese than those who had only 20% or less of the foods that were the object of such offers.

Those with the most contracts bought 30% less fruit and nearly 25% fewer vegetables than those who fled the markets.

This study follows a government consultation on proposals to ban "buy one, get one free" agreements on unhealthy foods and "corridors of guilt" in supermarkets as part of its strategy on Obesity in children.