According to the new figures released by Public Health England (PHE), England’s poorest areas are fast food hotspots, with 5 times more outlets found in these communities than in the most affluent.
The data suggests fast-food outlets account for more than a quarter (26%) of all eateries in England. It also shows a variation in the number of fast food outlets across England, ranging from zero in some wards to over 100 in others.
As part of its work to improve the local food environment, PHE supports local authorities’ work with small businesses to provide healthier options.
The Department of Health and Social Care recently announced the second chapter of its childhood obesity plan, including a trailblazer programme to help local authorities learn from each other. Another significant measure is a consultation on mandatory calorie labelling in the out of home sector, to help people make informed choices when eating out. These bold steps were announced as part of government’s ambition of halving childhood obesity by 2030.
PHE plays a significant role in achieving this ambition. It has challenged major players in the food industry to remove 20% of calories from popular foods – including chips, burgers, and pizzas – by 2024. This is in addition to its challenge to industry to reduce sugar in everyday products by 20% by 2020. With a quarter of our calories coming from food consumed outside the home, restaurants including fast food outlets and takeaways are expected to play their part.