Man with Lidl bagShopping at Lidl may provide fat discounts but is also associated with pounds that are better shed than saved, a study has shown.

Customers of cut price supermarkets are likely to be heavier and fatter than those who shop at expensive city centre stores, say researchers.

Supermarket Sweep - Tips & Advice

The French study, which named Lidl as an example of a "hard discount" supermarket, found a similar trend among people who visited stores far from where they lived.

Discount shopping was associated with higher body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) even after adjusting for social background and distance from the store. However, the link was stronger among shoppers with a poorer education.

Supermarket Sweep - Tips & Advice


Efforts to improve eating habits, such as promoting healthy foods, should target specific supermarkets, the scientists suggest.

The study, published in the online journal Public Library of Science ONE, was conducted in Paris between 2007 and 2008. A total of 7,131 people shopping in more than 1,000 different supermarkets were surveyed.

Researchers compared customers from a range of Parisian supermarkets, including the upmarket Monoprix chain, large "hypermarkets" such as Cora, and the "hard discount" stores Aldi, Ed and Lidl.

The team led by Dr Basile Chaix, from the INSERM research institute in Paris, wrote: "After controlling for individual and residential neighbourhood SES (socio-economic status) and distance to the supermarket, and using the Monoprix brand (expensive citymarkets located in city centres) as the referent, participants shopping in certain supermarket brands, especially hypermarkets such as Cora or in hard discount supermarkets such as Ed or Lidl, had greater BMI and WC."

Save money on shopping

  • 1) Know the price of everything you buy
    <p> </p> <p> This takes time, but once you know the cost of a phone call, putting the dryer on, or a bag of potatoes, it enables you to judge far better how much you can afford to consume.</p>
    1) Know the price of everything you buy
  • 2) Shop around
    <p> </p> <p> Once you know the base price, you are in a position to keep your eyes open for a better offer. If you see a discount you can judge for yourself whether it actually constitutes a bargain. For bigger things like utilities it enables you to do a proper price comparison and see if you can cut your bills.</p>
    2) Shop around
  • 3) Trade down
    <p> </p> <p> Don't just assume that the premium range is better, try the every-day brand, or even the basic version and see if you spot the difference. Likewise, consider trading down your supermarket from one of the big players to local markets or discounters like Aldi.</p>
    3) Trade down
  • 4) Plan
    <p> </p> <p> If you plan what you buy to match what you actually cook and eat then not only will you be able to budget far more effectively, but you'll also waste much less and find your money goes further without you having to try.</p>
    4) Plan
  • 5) Think creatively
    <p> If you can't think of a way to get your meat for less, consider a vegetarian day once a week. If you can't find petrol any cheaper, then work on making your driving as efficient as possible. The more you can think of clever alternatives the less you will have to make painful cuts to make ends meet.</p>
    5) Think creatively

There was a "strong interaction" between education levels and discount shopping. The association between shopping in a hard discount store and greater body weight was "markedly stronger for lower education levels" said the researchers. Conversely, people who shopped in organic stores were much more likely to have a lower BMI and slimmer waists.

Strategies targeting food-buying behaviour in specific supermarkets may be an "efficient strategy" because supermarkets "are the very place where dietary preferences are concretely materialised and translated into a definite set of purchased foods", they said.

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