From fruit pastilles to chocolate buttons, sweets come in a range of delicious forms.
But confectionery in the future could be slightly less appealing, as experts have called for them to be wrapped in plain packaging.
The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) claims that sweets, crisps and sugary drinks should have plain packaging to create a ‘level playing field’ with fruit and veg.
A new report by the think-tank indicates that this tactic would reduce the numbers of people whose health is jeopardised by consuming snacks and fizzy drinks.
Tom Kibasi, IPPR director, said: “It’s time to end the pro-obesity supermarkets by putting fruit and veg on a level playing field with crisps and confectionary.
“Plain packaging would help us all to make better choices and reduce the hassle of ‘pester power’ for busy parents.
“We need to get Britain off unhealthy takeaways and back to healthy home-cooked meals.”
As well as ditching flashy packaging on sweets and crisps, the report also highlights several other possible tactics to tackle the UK’s obesity problem.
This includes a 9pm watershed on TV adverts for fast food, set drinks and confectionery, and extending the current sugar levy on fizzy drinks to cakes, confectionary and other sweetened drinks, with the proceeds invested in physical education and local sports facilities.
Dean Hochlaf, IPPR Researcher and lead author of the report, said: “Too many people, especially the most disadvantaged in society, are suffering unnecessarily from preventable ill health. We can and should have a robust prevention strategy to stop people falling ill – not just because people value their health and wellbeing, but also because it’s an essential part of creating a more prosperous and fairer society.
“The government are right to make this a priority – now we need action to back up their words.
“It’s widely understood that people have some personal responsibility for their behaviour, but that does not excuse government shirking its collective responsibility for safeguarding people’s health.”
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