Bargain-loving shoppers more likely to be obese: report

LONDON, March 27 (Xinhua) -- Shoppers who like to buy food and drink offered on special promotions have "more than a 50 percent increased chance of being obese," according to a report released on Wednesday by Cancer Research UK.

The report looked at the purchasing habits of more than 16,000 British households.

It found that people whose shopping baskets contained around 40 to 80 percent of goods on special offer have a greater chance of putting on weight.

Almost half of all chocolate, crisps, popcorn and savory snacks were bought on promotion, the study said. Bargain-loving shoppers also bought 30 percent less fruit, and nearly 25 percent fewer vegetables.

This equates to nearly 6 kg less of fruit and vegetable every month than shoppers more inclined to shun the special offers.

Obesity was almost 30 percent higher among people from households which bought the most food and drink on special promotions compared to those who bought the least, according to the report.

"Promotional items offer people a wealth of tempting yet unhealthy food and drink choices when doing their weekly shop," said Professor Linda Bauld, Cancer Research UK's prevention expert. "With cut-price deals on things like chocolate, biscuits, cakes and fizzy drinks, it's no surprise that people who buy more on promotion have a greater likelihood of being obese."

"With young children frequently being the ones who suffer from the effects of these purchases, introducing restrictions is important for their future health," Bauld said.