Camden replaces Bury as area of England with most fast food shops per population

Camden successful northbound London has replaced Bury successful Greater Manchester arsenic the country of England with the astir accelerated nutrient outlets per population, caller investigation suggests.

Blackpool, Manchester and Tower Hamlets successful London each stay adjacent the apical of the list, but Hartlepool and Darlington person dropped retired of the apical 10.

Almost each section authorization country successful England has seen the fig of accelerated nutrient shops per colonisation either turn oregon enactment broadly akin implicit caller years – an result wellness organisations described arsenic “infuriating”.

Only a fistful of areas person seen a diminution – portion Wokingham successful Berkshire has retained its presumption arsenic the country with the fewest outlets per population.

The findings person been published by the Office for Health Improvement & Disparities (OHID) and screen a scope of shops selling foods including, but not constricted to, burgers, pizza, kebabs, chicken, Indian takeaways, Chinese takeaways, and food & chips.

Fast nutrient is defined arsenic meals that are “energy dense and disposable quickly, usually via a antagonistic service, and for depletion connected oregon disconnected the premises.”

The figures amusement that successful 2024, Camden had an estimated 417 accelerated nutrient outlets per 100,000 population, up sharply from 205 per 100,000 successful 2017, erstwhile the information was past compiled.

Westminster, different London borough, ranked 2nd with 248 per 100,000, followed by Blackpool (226), Southwark successful London (205) and Manchester (183).

A Camden Council spokesperson said: “Camden is simply a world-famous tourer hotspot and we cognize galore visitors volition drawback nutrient connected the spell either earlier oregon aft gigs, theatre and nighttime clip events, oregon earlier they get their bid location aft a time retired successful London.

“We enactment our residents to entree steadfast nutrient and to travel a balanced diet, and there’s tons of assemblage nutrient projects and nutrient increasing initiatives successful Camden helping with this.”

PA quality bureau investigation of the OHID information shows Bury topped the database successful 2017 with 256 outlets per 100,000 population, but dropped to 166 successful 2024, ranking it successful 10th place.

Hackney successful London ranked 58th successful 2017 with 107 outlets per 100,000, but successful 2024 had climbed to ninth place, with 166 per 100,000.

Also entering the apical 10 is Liverpool, up from 20th successful 2017 to seventh successful 2024, with 175 per 100,000.

Heading successful the different absorption is Hartlepool, down steeply from 4th to 37th (138 per 100,000), and Darlington, dropping from 5th to 25th (145 per 100,000).

Katharine Jenner, manager of Obesity Health Alliance (OHA), said large accelerated nutrient companies were “eroding steadfast eating opportunities”.

She said: “The findings are infuriating – astir each section authorization has seen the fig of unhealthy nutrient outlets per colonisation either turn oregon stay mostly unchanged successful caller years.

“This is happening astatine a clip erstwhile the nutrient manufacture should beryllium making steadfast nutrient much appealing and affordable, not actively moving against it.

“Evidence-based measures incentivising companies to promote, advertise, and merchantability healthier nutrient are supported by the public. We merit better, and we can’t fto the nutrient manufacture proceed to nett disconnected our mediocre health. We can’t spend to hold immoderate longer.”

The investigation besides shows that accelerated nutrient outlets per colonisation successful the astir deprived areas of England are treble the level successful the slightest deprived areas, astatine 147 per 100,000 compared with 73 per 100,000.

“On average, the section authorities with a higher deprivation score, which see respective ample metropolis authorities, person a higher fig of accelerated nutrient outlets per 100,000 population,” the OHID said.

“Prevalence of obesity successful England increases with expanding levels of deprivation and effect and rootlike depletion decreases with expanding levels of deprivation.”

Across England arsenic a whole, determination were 116 accelerated nutrient outlets per 100,000 colonisation successful 2024, up from 98 per 100,000 successful 2017.

The OHID said it had produced the figures to measure the vulnerability of residents to accelerated nutrient outlets successful their section authorization area.

Local authorities person work for neighbourhood readying and licencing of nutrient premises, arsenic good arsenic work for nationalist wellness for their nonmigratory population.

Some section authorities with larger numbers of accelerated nutrient outlets per 100,000 nonmigratory colonisation whitethorn beryllium areas with a ample non-resident workplace oregon visitant populations, the OHID notes.

In addition, immoderate radical are apt to question successful idiosyncratic to neighbouring areas to sojourn accelerated nutrient outlets.

As such, information showing the accelerated nutrient outlets located successful an country whitethorn underestimate the vulnerability to accelerated nutrient for section residents.

Dr Jordan Beaumont, lecturer successful nutrient and nutrition astatine Sheffield Hallam University, said: “The caller OHID information shows a concerning summation successful the beingness of accelerated nutrient successful our nutrient environment.

“We cognize that vulnerability to accelerated nutrient outlets increases the likelihood of consuming accelerated foods – those astir exposed to accelerated nutrient outlets are astir 50% much apt to devour accelerated foods – but the narration is complex.

“What is of peculiarly interest is the prevalence and density of accelerated nutrient outlets is intimately linked with level of deprivation, wherever areas experiencing higher levels of poorness – specified arsenic Camden and Bury – often person a higher fig of accelerated nutrient outlets.”

Dr Beaumont said attempts to bounds vulnerability to accelerated foods, specified arsenic done schoolhouse exclusion zones were having a affirmative interaction connected wellness of section communities, but determination were added complexities owed to outlets operating done the “virtual nutrient environment”, specified arsenic done third-party online nutrient transportation platforms and mobile applications.

Wokingham successful Berkshire had conscionable 39 accelerated nutrient shops per 100,000 colonisation successful 2024, OHID information suggests.

This is the lowest fig for immoderate section authorization successful England and lone somewhat up connected 37 per 100,000 successful 2017.

The adjacent lowest authorization is Bracknell Forest, besides successful Berkshire, astatine 63 per 100,000, followed by Richmond-upon-Thames successful London (65), Herefordshire (69) and Merton successful southbound London (75).