Leicester’s 'unhealthy' fast food outlets spark obesity concerns

LEICESTER ranks among the top 20 areas of England with the most fast food joints compared to its population. The city came in 17th of 152 local authority areas for the number of unhealthy eateries, with 153.5 for every 100,000 residents.

The figures, published by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, show an increase in such outlets, up from 137.1 per 100,000 in 2017.

The statistics cover a range of shops selling foods such as burgers, pizza, kebabs, chicken, Indian takeaways, Chinese takeaways, and fish and chips.

Comparatively, Leicestershire ranks 128th, with a rate of 88.8 fast food outlets per 100,000 people, up from 80.2 in 2017.

The findings follow the news that more than a quarter of Year Six pupils in the city are classed as obese. NHS data published in November revealed 25.8 per cent of children aged 10 and 11 who live in the city fell into that category for the 2023-2024 academic year, up slightly on the previous academic year when 25.2 per cent fell into that category.

A further 13.4 per cent were classed as overweight, but not obese in 2023-2024, the data showed, with 57.6 per cent considered to be a healthy weight.

The remaining 3.2 per cent were classed as underweight. The city rate was also higher than the national average, which sat at 22.1 per cent for obesity, while 62.5 per cent were considered to be a healthy weight.

A Leicester City council spokesman said the authority was “aware of the increasing number of takeaways in the city” and was “committed to addressing” this. They added: “We are concerned about the proportion of children who are over-weight.

“We promote healthier eating through campaigns and partnerships with schools, health professionals, and community groups, aiming to reduce fast food consumption. Our healthy weight pledge aims to create a city where everyone can achieve and maintain a healthy lifestyle, and where the healthy choice is the easy choice.”

(Local Democracy Reporting Service)