- Whitehall in talks with supermarkets over sharing their data, which shows exactly what customers buy
- People with poor diets would be sent tailored advice to improve their health and lifestyles
- Parents could be contacted if their bills show they are not giving their offspring a balanced diet
- Giants like Tesco know more about eating habits than the NHS, experts claim
By
Martin Robinson
03:45 EST, 25 June 2012
|
08:45 EST, 25 June 2012
The shopping habits of Britain’s 25 million supermarket loyalty card holders could be grabbed by the Government in an attempt to halt the UK’s dangerous obesity crisis, it was claimed today.
People who buy too much alcohol, fatty foods or sugary drinks would be targeted with ‘tailored’ health advice under plans being considered by the Coalition.
With more children than ever dangerously overweight, parents could also be contacted if their bills show they are not giving their offspring a balanced diet from their weekly shop.
Cutting obesity-related illness would help the NHS save billions.
Nudge: Supermarkets with loyalty cards can collate huge amounts of data about shopping habits and the Government wants to tap into their resources
A Whitehall unit set up to covertly change the habits of Britons has already been in talks with the major supermarkets to gain access to their huge shopping databases.
Their loyalty card systems allows them to collate detailed lists of what all their shoppers buy. Around 25 million people have these cards, with Tesco alone having 15 million members.
The head of the Government’s Behavioural Insights Team said supermarkets had more information on the diets of Britons than their own doctors.
David Halpern, the head of the Whitehall team known as the ‘nudge
unit’, told The Daily Telegraph: ‘If you go and buy your stuff regularly, they [the
supermarkets] know exactly what you are buying.’
Target: David Cameron, shown shopping earlier this year, is said to back the plan to improve health
Prime Minister David Cameron is said to back these ‘nudge’ tactics, which are designed to slowly influence the choices of people rather than using Government legislation to force change.
But Health Secretary Andrew Lansley and other Tories are said to be opposed to the idea in case they are accused of snooping on the public by employing ‘Big Brother’ techniques.
American academic Richard Thaler, who is an expert on nudge techniques met the cabinet, including the Prime Minister and Chancellor George Osborne this month, to discuss the issue with them.
He told them that the information held by Britain’s big businesses is key to helping them change behaviour.
Groups: Parents who do not buy healthy food for their children would also be sent tailored advice under the plan
The PM has already tried several ideas using nudge techniques with varying degrees of success.
A scheme to help people compare energy prices with people in their street worked as did writing to professionals to encourage them to fill in their late tax returns.
One in three doctors, for example, responded to the letters by submitting it, ten times the number a year earlier when no letter was sent.
It is not clear yet whether supermarkets will agree to share their information as attempts by Governments in the past have been rejected.
But with the issue of obesity in Britain a growing problem they may be convinced to help as they face pressure to help improve diet and lifestyle.
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This is another Labour Civil Servant Policy creeping out.
Not content with going on strike it seems Civil Servants are dusting out failed Labour Policies and presenting them to the Coalition.
Blair once boasted he would have 300,000 activists in Government and Brown put them there.
Labour Activists have immense problem with losing Elections when their Policies are not implemented now was have Civil Servants trying to get them in via the Back Door.
Identity Cards and BIO Passports anyone.
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Excuse me but I thought there was a thing called the data protection act. As the info is on a computer anyone handing the information over will be committing an illegal act surely.
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So how can they tell how many people you are buying for? If i was to buy a pizza and ate it myself then I would be greedy and should get a letter, but if I bought it to share with my three children with salad it would not be so bad. What if I bought my fruit and veg from a market stall, would I get a letter as there was none bought from the supermarket? It really will not show a true picture.
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Data Protection Act?? Anyway stop using supermarkets – simples!!!
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Data Protection Act?? Anyway stop using supermarkets – simples!!!
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I only use the boots card, it is the only one worthwhile. From now on I am going to get a weekly amount of cash out of an ATM and buy my groceries and goods with cash only. Soon they will demand debit card purchases from banks etc… It’s all getting out of hand, I thought the tories wanted people to have more control over their lives, this is the opposite…
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What happens if I buy all the rubbish I eat at tesco etc then use local greengrocers, butchers I get my healthy stuff. How ridiculous!!!
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– Steve, UK, 25/6/2012 10:10 ~~~ Are you really trying to tell me that they don’t already?
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That’s if we shop at tesco though. I used to get points from motor insurance and electricity. Nowadays occasionally I buy some petrol.
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Good to see the clowns in Downing Street have got nothing important to worry about.
Time to start shopping on the market and paying cash for everything.
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