By Stephen Beech via SWNS
Restricting the number of new fast food cuts child obesity, suggests new research.
Planning policies to limit outlets selling burgers, kebabs, fried chicken and chips (french fries) leads to fewer overweight youngsters, according to a study led by Lancaster University.
Researchers examined the impact of policy in the North East of England where Gateshead Council prevented any existing non-fast-food commercial property from being converted into hot fast food.
The team used Government collected data, including children’s weight from the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP), Food Hygiene Ratings from the Food Standards Agency (FSA), plus deprivation and population measures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS).
They also assessed Gateshead neighborhoods with comparable areas around the North East.
The findings, published in the journal Obesity, showed no significant change across the whole borough in childhood overweight and obesity levels between Gateshead and other areas in the region.
But when the team looked at neighborhood-level deprivation they found that, in areas with the highest proportion of fast-food outlets, the Gateshead neighborhoods were associated with a statistically “significant” 4.8% reduction in the prevalence of childhood obesity compared with similar neighborhoods in the region.
Study co-lead author Professor Heather Brown said: “Given that a majority of local authorities in England have implemented planning policies that target hot food takeaways if these are like Gateshead’s and are suitably robust and restrictive, it is possible that they could contribute to our efforts to reduce childhood overweight and obesity.”
Brown, of the Faculty of Health and Medicine at Lancaster University, added: “Furthermore, given that such food establishments are found in greater density in more deprived communities, such policies may help reduce health inequalities.”
Alice Wiseman, Director of Public Health at Gateshead Council and Newcastle Council, said: “Creating environments which support access to healthy affordable food is one of the biggest public health missions of our generation.
“The challenge of healthy weight and access to nutritious food is complex, ever-changing, and hard to resolve. There is no silver bullet, and several interventions are needed to create real, impactful, and lasting change.”
She added: “It’s great to see when teams across local government come together with full institutional support, how robust planning policies can chip away at such challenges to facilitate healthier and more resilient communities.”
