Healthy living initiative branded 'insulting'

14 January 2011 1 min read Gemma Spence Health

Families wanting to benefit from the government-backed Change4Life Swapathon vouchers would have to spend more than double their value to redeem them, a food campaign group has warned.

The vouchers, launched this week and available through selected Asda stores, are aimed at addressing the growing obesity problem by encouraging people to make better choices through offering discounts on "healthier products".

However, according to the Children’s Food Campaign (CFC), shoppers would have to spend at least £117.05 with Asda, JJB Sports and WeightWatchers to receive the advertised £50 savings.

The CFC claims that more than half the savings come through a discount offered on signing up to a WeightWatchers plan, which is available through the WeightWatchers website without the vouchers. The group also said that in some cases it would be cheaper to buy Asda's own version of a branded product instead of using the the voucher.

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