The Soil Association report, ‘Not What the Doctor Ordered’, sponsored by food company Organix, found that vending machines in a sample of sports centres and hospitals across England and Wales are failing dismally to provide healthy options, despite the Government’s health policy identifying diet and nutrition as one of six key priority areas for improving public health.

The report provides a sobering snapshot of the unhealthy food that is the norm in many healthcare and leisure facilities – high in sugar, fat and salt and seriously out of step with the kind of healthier choices encouraged by the Department of Health. Much of the food on sale was of poor nutritional quality, dominated by the fatty snacks, fizzy drinks and confectionery that have been banned from schools to protect children’s health.

Peter Melchett, Soil Association policy director, says, “Of all places, you’d expect hospitals and sports centres to be promoting healthy eating and healthy choices. Venues that are supposed to be helping people become healthier and fitter, should not be offering up such poor quality food. Children and patients deserve better.”

Lizzie Vann, MD of Organix Brands, says, “Is it unreasonable to expect places such as hospitals and sports centres to be beacons of best practice, where good food is readily available and healthy eating messages are communicated to the public?”

Hospitals and sports centres are lagging behind schools in the provision of healthy food choices, and messages promoting health and wellbeing are seriously undermined by much of the food currently on offer. From September 2007, vending machines in schools will have to stick to tough Government regulations with salt, fat and sugar content restricted. Many schools are already providing meals that adhere to nutritional guidelines that will come into force from September 2007 for primary schools and 2008 for secondary schools.

A photo-essay of poor food practice
Graphic photos in Not What the Doctor Orderedshow vending machines in hospitals and leisure centres full of products high in salt, fat and sugar - usually with no healthy alternatives on offer. Toddler-height dispensing machines for sweets are the norm and a machine full of unhealthy snacks in a Rotherham swimming pool even lures children with the message ‘Now it’s time to treat yourself’.

Burger King promoted by hospital food service company
Every Saturday is 'Burger King Takeout Night' at C2 children’s ward in Addenbrooke Hospital, Cambridge, the night when all the young patients are offered a Burger King meal. Just outside the door of this ward is a vending machine full of crisps and confectionery. Medirest, is contracted to supply Addenbrooke and provides food service to many UK hospitals. Burger King is just one of the ‘well-known Foodservice brands’ Medirest promotes despite claims on its website that it provides ‘quality food’ with ‘nutritional value’.

Unhealthy associations and mixed messages
Coca-Cola dominates the scene at a Sheffield gym with giant sign boards circling the entrance. At a community pool that is part of a school complex in Southampton a vending machine offering crisps and chocolate bars is emblazoned with the phrase ‘educated consumer’. Prominent signs adorning the entrance to Guy’s hospital in London promote the McDonald’s outlet next door.

Yoga classes were for a while advertised just above a Pringles vending machine in Bristol’s St Paul’s sports academy – a single pack like this provides over a fifth of the guideline daily fat intake for adults, containing more than 15g of fat.

For more information visit www.soilassociation.org or www.organix.com