Call for ban on up-selling food
A councillor has called for a ban on food retailers up-selling to help tackle obesity.
Natalie Don wants to see an end to the tactic, which sees staff asking customers to upgrade to larger meals when they order.
She says the practice can result in people taking on more calories than they otherwise would.
The SNP councillor for Bishopton, Bridge of Weir and Langbank, said: “Obesity is an increasingly concerning issue which is why tackling obesity has been identified as a priority for the Scottish Government.
“It is time that retailers, particularly fast food chains, took more responsibility for this issue.
“I want to make it clear that I am not calling on large meals or even supersize meals to be banned.
“People deserve to have a choice and if a large meal or a couple of extra sides is what they want they should be able to get it.
“However, the process of offering large meals or upgrades to customers who did not ask for them or did not want them needs to end.
“Many people will often accept the offer of a larger meal even though they did not have the intention of purchasing it in the first place. What might seem like a harmless decision to upgrade at the time, can have long lasting health consequences if taken regularly.
“It can also result in food wastage, or money being spent that someone did not intend to spend or feel pressured into spending.
“The need for good value can also be a key factor in people’s temptation to upgrade. This means it is often people on low incomes or young people who will be the most susceptible to this. Perhaps rather than trying to up- sell unhealthy products to those with low incomes, companies should focus on promoting and maintaining the value of healthy options.”
The need for good value can also be a factor in people’s temptation to upgrade Natalie Don