Temptation at the Checkout: The Food Industry’s Sneaky Strategy for Selling More

This US-based report examines one reason why it is so difficult to eat well today: retail marketing manipulates food choices. The authors conclude that with high rates of obesity, diabetes, and other chronic diseases due to poor nutrition, the retail environment should be shaped not only by economic drivers but also by public health considerations. They propose beginning with the checkout aisles of retail stores, where the vast majority of purchases are unplanned. By rethinking checkout, retailers could support their customers’ health, rather than pushing the consumption of extra—and often unwanted—calories from candy, soda, and other unhealthy foods and beverages.