Obesity epidemic not helped by supermarket pricing

Whilst getting a cup of coffee at a service station recently during a long drive I was given first hand experience of one of the reasons why we have an obesity epidemic in this country - pricing.

I was at the checkout of a supermarket-owned establishment with my cup of coffee and I thought 'ooh, I'll have a Mars Bar too'. Before I had even put the chocolate bar on the counter the extremely nice lady behind the counter said. 'Honey, they're 69p each but you can get a pack of four over there for just £1.'

I replied, 'Thanks for pointing that out, but if I buy four I'll more than likely eat four.' In a way I felt 'stupid' for turning the offer down and I could hear groans of disbelief from the customers immediately behind me.

From the counter back to the car it got me thinking, how the hell do obese people or say kids for example have the fortitude to turn down these offers? 69p for one or £1 for four is a no-brianer if you're a kid, especially if at the counter the amazing deal is reinforced by the very helpful staff.

And how can supermarkets price one item up for 69p and a four of the same item for £1? In a way they're forcing people, whether they're buying for just themselves, themsleves and their partners or a big family, to buy the four instead of the one. With foods like junk food it should be priced in a similar way to alcohol in that it should be unitised and there should be a minimum price for the unit to stop deals like four for £1.