Supersized chocolate bars and sweet bags banned from hospitals

[Northerner]

Supersized chocolate bars and “grab bags” of sweets are to be banned from hospitals as the NHS ratchets up its fight against obesity.

Simon Stevens, the NHS chief executive, has warned that obesity will bankrupt the health service and has stated his determination to do what he can on hospital premises.

Shops inside hospitals have notoriously stocked sugary drinks, sweets and unhealthy snacks in the past, which have been bought not only by patients and their visitors but also by NHS staff. Nearly 700,000 of the NHS’s 1.3 million staff are estimated to be overweight or obese.

https://www.theguardian.com/society...bars-and-sweet-bags-banned-from-nhs-hospitals

 

[Vince_UK]

Good article
I am totally convinced that my love of these, sometime 3 per day, are in part largely responsible for my present conditiion.
In Poundstretcher for example, I could buy huge chocolate bars etc. for a little as 50P when on special.
Did I buy 1 as a treat?
No way, I used to buy dozens and pig out my way through them over a few days.
In fact I would over-dose on chocolate, sweets and cakes.
At diagnosis I gave them all away.

 

[Northerner]

Good article
I am totally convinced that my love of these, sometime 3 per day, are in part largely responsible for my present conditiion.
In Poundstretcher for example, I could buy huge chocolate bars etc. for a little as 50P when on special.
Did I buy 1 as a treat?
No way, I used to buy dozens and pig out my way through them over a few days.
In fact I would over-dose on chocolate, sweets and cakes.
At diagnosis I gave them all away.

You only need to walk into any supermarket to see how many promotions are for things like sweets, crisps, chocolate and fizzy drinks to understand why consumption of these things are so high Rarely do you see promotions for fresh fruit, in fact I can't remember when strawberries, for example, were anything less than £2 in my local Co-op or Tescos, whether there had been a good harvest or not.

 

[Copepod]

I agree that availability of cheap big bags of sweets and huge chocolate bars, for the greater good - that's how public health measures work.
However, when preparing for events such as mountain marathons (2 days navigating, carrying camping kit for night between) and walking holidays (next one soon 🙂 ) I do buy such items.

 

[Ljc]

Imo this won’t work, if people want more /large portions they will only buy more packs. Imo education and giving people the opportunity to buy suitable items alongside treats would be better.
I must admit a few years ago 20 14 /15 i was shocked and disappointed when the snack trolley came round the ward, bags and bags of crisps, a mountain of sweets, about three apples and the odd banana.

 

[mikeyB]

It’s the shops that you get in modern hospitals. I know the hospital benefits from rental of the space, but the shops, like WH Smith, don’t change their stock from the real world.

In the Alexandra in Paisley, I noticed in one of the drinks machine there were lots of bottles of IrnBru, as you might expect. But only one row of full fat. The majority were sugar free. Same with the coke. I don’t know whether this was deliberate or they’d just run out of full fat, but it looked deliberate.

Last time I was actually in hospital, the afternoon trolley was just tea or coffee, no snacks.

 

[Ditto]

I think people have lost all common sense and also religion plays a part imho, or lack thereof. Nobody bothers about gluttony, lust and all them now...if people actually know about these as sins they ignore the fact and it's all more more more...we're all going to heck in a handcart via consumer goods...

 

[Vince_UK]

I think people have lost all common sense and also religion plays a part imho, or lack thereof. Nobody bothers about gluttony, lust and all them now...if people actually know about these as sins they ignore the fact and it's all more more more...we're all going to heck in a handcart via consumer goods...

I gave gluttony up on September 28th 2017, Lust gave me up years and years ago 🙄

 

[Lucy Honeychurch]

Addenbrooke's Hospital has a Burger King on it's main conourse, hardly promoting healthy eating! Will hospitals have to do away with all the chain coffee shops and eating outlets? As far as I can see they all sell carb, sugar, calorie laden goods. My local hospital had their own cafe replaced with a Costa Coffee, you used to be able to get a coffee for 50p, now its more like £3 😱
I must say I've never seen the shops at my hospital sell multi packs of sweets.

 

[Mark Parrott]

Addenbrooke's Hospital has a Burger King on it's main conourse, hardly promoting healthy eating! Will hospitals have to do away with all the chain coffee shops and eating outlets? As far as I can see they all sell carb, sugar, calorie laden goods. My local hospital had their own cafe replaced with a Costa Coffee, you used to be able to get a coffee for 50p, now its more like £3 😱
I must say I've never seen the shops at my hospital sell multi packs of sweets.

I used to go to Addenbrookes a lot when working for the ambulance service. Most of the people queuing up at Burger King were staff. Mainly doctors & nurses!

 

[Bubbsie]

Addenbrooke's Hospital has a Burger King on it's main conourse, hardly promoting healthy eating! Will hospitals have to do away with all the chain coffee shops and eating outlets? As far as I can see they all sell carb, sugar, calorie laden goods. My local hospital had their own cafe replaced with a Costa Coffee, you used to be able to get a coffee for 50p, now its more like £3 😱
I must say I've never seen the shops at my hospital sell multi packs of sweets.

Good point Lucy...sorry to hear you were so ill at the weekend...saw that yesterday...relieved you're home & recovered.

 

[Lucy Honeychurch]

Good point Lucy...sorry to hear you were so ill at the weekend...saw that yesterday...relieved you're home & recovered.

Thanks Bubbsie, I'm feeling much better today 🙂

 

[Bubbsie]

Thanks Bubbsie, I'm feeling much better today 🙂

Good to hear that Lucy...must have been a shock...thank goodness you did the right thing...got treated quickly.

 

[Ralph-YK]

*looks up from my hospital apple pie and custard* What!