Reduced fatMajor supermarket chains are encouraging their customers to buy cheap, unhealthy food as times get tougher, according to a report by the British National Consumer Council.

It found that fatty and sugary foods now make up more than half of in-store supermarket promotions compared to less than half that number in 2006. "What we're saying to them is 'Give people good value and special offers on those healthier products'," says the report's author, Lucy Yates.