‘Up-selling goods increases obesity’

‘Up-selling’ tactics used by cafes, petrol stations, fast food chains and pubs are fuelling the obesity crisis and leading customers to consume an average 17,000 extra calories a year, says a report.

The average consumer faces 100 attempts by retailers to ‘upsell’ unhealthy food and drink each year, says the report.

‘UP-SELLING’ TACTICS used by cafes, petrol stations, fast food chains, cinemas and pubs are fuelling the obesity crisis and leading customers to consume an average 17,000 extra calories a year, according to a report.

The average consumer faces more than 100 attempts by retailers to ‘up-sell’ unhealthy food and drink each year, the Size Matters report by the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) and Slimming World said.

Over the course of a week, verbal up-selling – where a customer is persuaed to buy more – leads one in three people to buy a larger coffee than they intended, upgrade to a large meal in a fast food outlet and buy chocolate at the till in petrol stations and newsagents, a survey of more than 2,000 UK adults found.

The “drip drip effect” of being up-sold to larger portions 106 times a year leads the average person to consume an extra 330 calories a week, or 17,000 calories across the year, and potentially gain 2.3kg, the report calculated.

Young people aged 18 to 24 are the most likely to experience upselling, with the study finding that they consume an extra 750 calories a week as a result, potentially gaining 5kg in a year.

The RSPH and Slimming World are calling on businesses to pledge to only up-sell healthy food and drink.

They have also urged businesses not to link staff pay to the up-selling of junk food, and have introduced the hashtag #JustThisThanks to encourage consumers to insist on buying only what they initially asked for.

RSPH chief executive Shirley Cramer said: “Obesity is the public health challenge of our generation and if not addressed urgently could tip over the point of no return. Almost everyone can relate to the feeling of being pressured into buying extra calories through up-selling. Our latest report shows the extent to which these extra calories can really add up, often without us noticing.

“We hope through this work the public can become more aware of how businesses target them with up-selling and help people to maintain a healthy weight.”

Caroline Cerny, from the Obesity Health Alliance, said: “It’s all too easy to eat more than we need when we are encouraged to buy larger sizes, add unhealthy extras or take advantage of special offers when it comes to unhealthy food and drink. There is clear evidence that marketing techniques persuade us to eat and drink more of the wrong types of food and this is driving the obesity epidemic.

“The food industry can play a vital role by helping to make healthier choices the easy choice and creating a healthier food environment for us all.”