Sir, – Today while standing in a queue at the checkout in our local supermarket I saw two separate incidents of mothers struggling valiantly to resist their children’s demands to buy them sweets displayed beside the counter. I was surprised, because I thought the cynical practice of placing sweets beside the checkout had been abandoned some years ago. At a time when the country is struggling with the tragic effects of widespread childhood obesity it is reasonable to ask supermarkets to stop putting this rubbish on display where parents are blackmailed into buying. Apart from the fact that frequent consumption of sweets is bad for children, it encourages the idea of eating whenever one is bored. The world is sometimes boring but it is better for children to learn to develop patience. Yours, etc,
CARLA KING,
Shillelagh,
Co Wicklow