SWEETIE CAM
How supermarkets target young kids with treats as seen by a seven-year-old girl
PARENTS have demanded a ban on sweets and junk food at store checkouts for years to stop their children demanding treats and throwing tantrums.
Now the Government plans to halve childhood obesity by 2030 with the banning of unhealthy products at supermarket checkouts — and as our investigation shows, the new plans can’t come soon enough.
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Seven-year-old Annie Axworthy wore a strap-on camera this week to show exactly what children can see when they are going around the supermarket with their parents.
And it became clear why pester power is costing the average parent £460 a year as Annie went shopping in her home town of Plymouth wearing a GoPro.
She visited Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Lidl, Morrisons and Co-op.
Her mum Clare, 39, says: “Annie is always asking me for treats when we go shopping and now I know why.
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“This really did open my eyes to what is going on too.
“I’m always so busy getting my shopping that I don’t pay attention to what’s in her eye line.
“There was a lot of rubbish and the fact the energy drinks are on her eye level in some shops is worrying.
“In Co-op at the checkout there was a ‘decorate your own pack of biscuits’ kit.
“She always wants that, it’s not surprising. I now realise it is right in front of her.
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“Tesco has already banned sweets at the checkout but there were other temptations there including crisps, Lucozade and sugary bars.
“Throughout the shops I realised there were temptations up and down the aisles at her level, not just at the checkouts.
“It explains a lot.”
The UK is the most overweight nation in Western Europe and the strategy unveiled on Monday by the Government to tackle childhood obesity also includes a ban on “two for one” junk food deals and the sale of energy drinks to kids.
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There is also a consultation on whether to ban junk food ads on TV before 9pm.
Mum-of-three and writer Clare said: “I think this is a great idea.
“Children are asking for these things because people are shoving them under their noses.”
But now Clare realises it is also because of all the temptations that are put in front of Annie throughout a typical shopping trip.
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Clare says: “She really is a kid in a candy store, it’s not fair on her.
“Even the energy drinks were at her eye level.
“It feels as though you need to map out your trip to the supermarket to stop her wanting things that she can’t have.”
Annie has often complained about feeling hungry during the shopping trips. The youngster told us: “A lot of my favourite things are in front of me but I am not allowed them.
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“I love cereals like Frosties, Coco Pops and chocolate hoops but we only have them as a treat.
“There was porridge in front of me too, but I don’t like that.
“I saw loads of fizzy drinks and chocolate in the aisles but the thing that really made me hungry was the sweets, there was Galaxy right in front of me.
“My favourite. I asked Mummy for some but she said ‘no’.
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“In the biscuit aisle the animal biscuits in bags were there right in front of my eyes, too.
"The boring biscuits were higher up.
“Some tills just had healthy things like seeds and crackers.
"I don’t like them so I wasn’t tempted at all.
“One had some dried fruit rolls so I thought I would get some of them but Mummy says they’re packed with sugar and real fruit is better for me.
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“I love Smarties and the chocolate aisle had Unicorn Smarties which I’ve never tried but Mummy said I wasn’t allowed them.
“I really wanted an ice cream too because it was hot.
“Shopping is annoying when you are seven.”
Supermarkets urged to stop the pester power
NUTRITIONIST Kim Pearson says: “It’s no surprise supermarkets target children – pester power is incredibly potent and big brands know that.
“There’s a pandemic of dental disease in this country with children younger than three needing their teeth extracted because of tooth decay caused by a sugary diet.
“Not to mention the fact that childhood obesity is increasing and with that comes a risk of Type Two diabetes, so children’s health and their diets really are a ticking time bomb.
“It’s disappointing the Government isn’t protecting the next generation more.
“Many children struggle to eat healthily because their palate is tuned to sugar and sweet foods.
“If we packed the aisles at their eye level with healthier options they might be more encouraged to pester their parents for different types of food.
“Sweet treats definitely have their place in any child’s diet but these treats should be occasional, not as part of everyday life.”
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