All UK businesses have been encouraged to fight the growing obesity problem under a fresh government campaign.
Moreover, the Department of Health says that it has come to an unprecedented agreement with supermarkets Asda and Tesco to offer healthy food at discounted prices.
The announcement comes in the same week that celebrity chef Jamie Oliver called for the creation of a healthy food minister.
Health secretary Alan Johnson said: “Ten million people visit their corner shops every day and 36 million shop at Asda and Tesco each week – the fact that grocers and supermarkets are on board means we can really influence what goes into our shopping trolleys.”
Yet he added this is not an “exclusive club” and any business that pledges to offer healthier items to consumers can get involved.
Johnson said: “The aim of Change4Life is to help parents understand that obesity is a problem for all of us and that it causes severe illnesses and premature death.”
But the Federation of Small Businesses said that the timing of the appeal is poor, because many small firms are struggling simply to hold on to staff in the current climate.
A report released in October by Which? found that well-known characters are promoting less healthy food to youngsters.
