The consumer blame game

The media and TV chefs are always telling us that the UK is addicted to microwave meals and take-out food. The obesity epidemic is a result of this apparent addiction to fast foods.

What exactly is “junk” food? Why is it that the consumer is always to blame for not resisting these highly palatable foods?

A recent YouGov study found that we eat far too much junk food. New research from the Institute of Economic Affairs says we cannot say it is because we are saving money. How can we prove these claims without defining what constitutes junk food?

When companies like Deliveroo make it possible to order food takeaway from any restaurant, people who are asked, “How often do you eat junk food?” could inadvertently reveal that they eat junk food regularly. In reality, they might have ordered a salmon and vegetable takeaway dish. A “ready-meal” with natural ingredients, little salt or fat, and no added sugar could be judged the same way.

In many cases, the IEA was right. Marks & Spencer’s “Balanced For You,” for example, starts at PS4.25 per meal. This may seem expensive to some for a single serving. These ready meals are not junk food, as they contain less than 400 calories per meal and 10g of fat. They also have 1.5g of sodium, 5g of sugar, and less than 40g of carbohydrates.

Why do we not buy more fruits and vegetables? And why are obesity rates so high?

‘Bliss point’

Genetic studies suggest that we have not changed much since our hunter/gatherer ancestors. Our bodies are designed to search for the highest energy-density food. We haven’t evolved as fast as our industry or economy, nor has our diet. Animal experiments show that animals also prefer foods high in fat and sugar. This combination of ingredients is often called the “blisspoint” and includes hyper-palatable portions that contain sugar, fat, and salt.

Aggressive advertising makes this situation worse. Retail food companies know that products high in fat, sugar, and salt are popular, and they push them to a broad demographic. These food products are promoted in a very energetic way. More than 60% of food and beverage ads on Ant and Dec’s Sunday night primetime program were for junk foods. It was criticized, but this is a common occurrence.

McDonald’s also promotes its apple snacks to children in their meals, a way to not so subtly advertise fast food. Even though apple slices are appealing, they do not make a cheeseburger or chicken nuggets healthy.

It’s not just the media. This is also noticeable in everyday life. When I enter my local supermarket, I am immediately confronted with the display of hot cross buns, jam donuts for 50p, and a smell of freshly baked loaf. The smell of freshly baked bread and 50p jam donuts instantly triggers the hunger hormone ghrelin. I want to buy even more food while walking around the aisles.

I counted six aisles that had over 100 ads for products with high sugar and fat content. Nearly every aisle end display featured promotional offers for crisps, chocolates, soft drinks, and other junk food. As I try to avoid the end aisles of the supermarket, I am bombarded by a wave of promotional signs. Contrary to this, fruit and vegetables are rarely heavily discounted, despite the recent news heading recommendation that you should eat ten portions per day instead of 5.

Digital media advertising

In a global study, the top foods and drinks advertised were fast food, sugary breakfast cereals, and snacks such as chocolate and crisps. It is unfair to blame the buying habits of consumers when most of the ads are for unhealthy food that we have been conditioned to crave. The junk food industry can also take advantage of digital media. KFC is followed by over 45m and McDonald’s more than 70m. The industry knows that peer pressure can have long-lasting effects, particularly among teenagers.

The government does not do enough to stop this type of advertising in the media or stores. Theresa May was criticized because of her stance against junk food advertisements and for abandoning plans for combating childhood obesity.

Sugar tax could have an impact on some companies who have announced that they will re-formulate their products. Is the tax likely to influence consumer choices if it’s not accompanied by nutritional advice? Where can we find this kind of advice? We have no GPs who are trained to tell us what junk food is, and NHS funding has been cut for programs that help children with obesity and dietitians.

My study is aimed at answering some of these questions. I’m curious if we really eat as much junk as people claim. In order to do this, I would like to develop a method that can help assess an individual’s nutrition status by determining their food intake. We can improve our eating habits by answering these questions and helping people with long-term diet problems.