Super-size chocolate bars to be banned in English hospital in obesity crackdown-4120

October 17th, 2017
Super-size chocolate bars to be banned in English hospital in obesity crackdown-4120

NHS England has confirmed that super-size chocolate bars will no longer be sold in hospitals in England as part of a bid to crack down on obesity.

New plans, which have been approved by NHS England, mean that no bars and bags containing more than 250 calories will be sold in hospital shops, vending machines or canteens. The move will signify the end of ‘grab bags’ and ‘share bags’, which can contain up to 800 calories. Hospitals will be given an incentive to promote the scheme.

Additional plans have been released to encourage healthier snacking, with 75 percent of sandwiches sold in shops to contain fewer than 400 calories and less than 5g of saturated fat per 100g. Eighty percent of drinks available on the shelves must also contain less than 5g of added sugar per 100ml serving.

Proposals to ban sugary drinks if hospitals didn’t reduce the number of products on sale were revealed in April and the latest news is part of an effort to drive down rates of obesity and encourage people to follow a healthier diet. As well as targeting patients, the NHS is also hoping to promote healthier eating among its staff. Of the 1.3 million people employed by the NHS, around 700,000 are thought to be overweight.

Across the country, premises owned by the NHS cater for one million people every 24 hours and encouraging good habits could make a difference to the nation’s health, according to Public Health England. The Royal Voluntary Service, which is the UK’s largest hospital retailer, has already experienced a 25 percent increase in fruit sales since introducing healthy eating initiatives.

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