Why you’ll pile on 5lbs per year by ‘going large’

HIGH street food chains’ efforts to persuade customers to ‘go large’ risk them piling on up to five pounds a year, it is claimed.

Health experts warn today that pressure from fast food chains, coffee shops and others to buy bigger portions is fuelling obesity.

The Royal Society for Public Health said ‘upselling’ means that every week one in three people will upgrade to a large meal in a fast food outlet.

A similar proportion will buy a larger coffee than intended and buy chocolate at the till in petrol stations and newsagents. The organisation’s report, ‘Size Matters’, which includes a poll of 2,055 UK adults, shows that consumers face an average of 106 verbal pushes towards unhealthy choices each year.

It said: ‘The drip-drip effect of being upsold to an average of 106 times per year leads us to consume 17,000 extra calories, potentially gaining 5lbs (2.3kg) over 12 months.’

The RSPH and study sponsor Slimming World are calling for health professionals to warn patients not to be tempted.

Trendy agave and maple syrups touted by celebrities are not a healthy option, according to a British Science Festival presentation – as they are simply sugar in another form.

‘Drip-drip effect’