Reacting to the news that the UK Government has announced that multibuy promotions on unhealthy food and drink are to be banned in England from Wednesday, Professor Grant McIntyre, Dean of the Faculty of Dental Surgery at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh said:
‘We are delighted that UK Government has taken the step to ban multibuy promotions on unhealthy food and drinks. We believe that these regulations could play their part, amongst some other needed measures, to curb and reduce obesity and dental decay rates in England."
‘Obesity rates amongst adults and children have been rising over the last decade, a fifth of children leaving primary school are obese. Obesity is linked to a host of different health problems and can set children up for a lifetime of illness, as well as being a key driver in health inequalities. These regulations also ban free refill promotions on sugary drinks in restaurants and cafes, and will be followed up by a ban on advertising of less healthy food and drink on television before 21:00 and a complete ban on online promotions on from January.’
‘Although these measures are not going to eradicate obesity and childhood dental decay, there is evidence to suggest that these restrictions on the promotion and sale of unhealthy foods drinks can have an impact. Additionally, we hope that this will prompt retailers to create promotions for healthy foods, so that consumers are encouraged to make healthier choices.’