Health experts condemn ‘infuriating’ figures showing rise in fast food shops

Health experts person condemned “infuriating” figures showing the fig of accelerated nutrient shops is increasing successful England per 100,000 population.

Katharine Jenner, manager of Obesity Health Alliance (OHA), said accelerated nutrient companies were “eroding steadfast eating opportunities”, portion the British Heart Foundation (BHF) called for Government enactment implicit a “food strategy which is unfair to radical successful deprived areas”.

The caller investigation shows Camden successful northbound London has replaced Bury successful Greater Manchester arsenic the country of England with the astir accelerated nutrient outlets per population, while Blackpool, Manchester and Tower Hamlets successful London each stay adjacent the apical of the list.

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.

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

Katharine Jenner, OHA

The findings person been published by the Office for Health Improvement & Disparities (OHID) and screen a scope of shops selling foods specified arsenic burgers, pizza, kebabs, chicken, Indian takeaways, Chinese takeaways, and food & chips.

Ms Jenner 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 amended and we can’t fto the nutrient manufacture proceed to nett disconnected our mediocre health. We can’t spend to hold immoderate longer.”

Becky Elliott, caput of argumentation astatine the BHF, said: “We cognize that the casual availability of accelerated nutrient connected people’s doorsteps is damaging to bosom health, truthful it is disappointing to larn that the fig of takeaway outlets successful astir communities has either grown oregon is showing nary motion of decreasing.

“Poorer areas of the UK mostly person a higher fig of fast-food outlets successful their section communities, which is yet different illustration of however our nutrient strategy continues to beryllium unfair to radical successful deprived areas already struggling with higher levels of bosom and circulatory disease.

“We cognize that overconsumption of foods precocious successful fat, brackish and sweetener tin summation the hazard of bosom and circulatory conditions and, whilst the precocious updated National Planning Policy Framework guidelines are a measurement towards gathering healthier communities, we request Government to instrumentality further enactment to guarantee that everyone has entree to healthier options.”

The caller OHID information shows that, crossed England arsenic a whole, determination were 116 accelerated nutrient outlets per 100,000 colonisation successful 2024, up from 98 per 100,000 successful 2017.

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

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 night-time 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).

The investigation besides shows that accelerated nutrient outlets per caput of 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.

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 Jordan Beaumont, Sheffield Hallam University

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

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

The OHID said immoderate section authorities with larger numbers of accelerated nutrient outlets whitethorn beryllium areas wherever radical question successful for enactment oregon who person visitant populations.

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.”

Mr 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 outlets besides merchantability done the “virtual nutrient environment”, specified arsenic apps and online transportation firms.

Tracy Parker, elder dietitian astatine the BHF, said: “Takeaways and edifice meals person go an progressively important portion of galore people’s diets.

“And often, the foods we take are higher successful calories, saturated fat, brackish and sugar, and successful larger portions than we’d usually eat.

“Over time, eating excessively galore foods that are precocious successful salt, saturated abdominous and sweetener tin summation our hazard of bosom and circulatory diseases, specified arsenic bosom attacks and strokes.”