Reforms welcomed preventing new hot food takeaways from targeting children

Announced reforms to the planning system would prevent new hot food takeaways from opening where children learn and play, or where they may affect the health of local communities.

Fuse academic Professor Amelia Lake has joined the Obesity Health Alliance, Directors of Public Health and a host of other leading health related organisations and individuals, in welcoming the reforms today (12 December, 2024).

It coincides with the Chief Medical Officer for England’s Annual report, also out today which states: ‘The food environment in parts of cities entrenches inequalities in health and promotes obesity’ and ‘Public health and planning are intrinsically linked'.

The National Planning Policy Framework previously required councils to "enable and support healthy lifestyles." However, the new policy announced by Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, contains an explicit direction to ‘prioritise preventing ill health’, giving councils responsibility and power to act in the best interests of their communities.

Specifically on takeaways it states:

Local planning authorities should refuse applications for hot food takeaways and fast food outlets:

a) within walking distance of schools and other places where children and young people congregate, unless the location is within a designated town centre; or

b) in locations where there is evidence that a concentration of such uses is having an adverse impact on local health, pollution or anti-social-behaviour.

Areas of deprivation have a heavy concentration of hot food takeaway concentrating on a limited range of products high in fat, sugar and salt, a high density of advertising of unhealthy foods and limited shopping opportunities. In areas of deprivation:

• Children are twice as likely to develop obesity by age five and one in three do so by the time they leave primary school.
• There are up to five times more fast-food outlets than wealthier areas, limiting access to healthier food options
• Research shows exposure to more takeaways is associated with unhealthy dietary habits.

Food from hot food takeaways typically contains more calories, sugar, salt, and fat than food purchased in supermarkets, with portion sizes often larger. Evidence from England highlights that takeaways near schools are convenient, affordable options for pupils, but that they contribute to unhealthy dietary habits and rising obesity rates.

A study led by researchers from Fuse, the Centre for Translational Research in Public Health, at Teesside University showed that a new fast-food outlet in North East England led to more visits by 11-to-16-year-olds. This increase was significant within three to nine months of opening, and more young people reported visiting fast-food places on weekdays during this period compared to before it opened.

Professor Amelia Lake, Associate Director of Fuse and Professor of Public Health Nutrition at Teesside University said:

"Food environments shape our behaviours. Our research, over 20 years, has consistently shown the breadth of influence of these environments on the food behaviours of children and young people. Our research has explored how we can use the planning system to shape healthier environments.

"Professionals from different disciplines across some local authorities have been using planning levers to shape their local food environments. We have great examples of this - such as Gateshead. Our research showed that Gateshead’s planning approach reduced the density of fast-food outlets as well as reducing overweight and obesity in children in more deprived areas.

"This new policy direction is very welcome and will ensure that across the country, planning teams in local authorities are focused on healthier planning giving all populations more opportunity to live healthier lives."

Alice Wiseman, Vice President of the Association of Directors of Public Health, and Director of Public Health in Gateshead and Newcastle City Council where restrictions to new junk food outlets has already been implemented, said:

"The vast majority of people, parents and grandparents, want us to protect children from junk food in their local area, but action, at a local level, is difficult to implement and often hampered by industry influence.

"Finally, we have a signal from the very top of Government that local leaders can create a healthy food environment rather than treating obesity once it is there.

"We look forward to going further and faster to stop the flood of junk food and the devastating consequences of diet-related ill health."

Other research from the University of Cambridge suggests that using exclusion zones (not within 400 meters of a school) may curb the spread of new takeaways near schools and subsequently impact on people's health, with modelling suggesting it would reduce the prevalence of obesity and lead to reductions in incidence of weight-related diseases, such as type 2 diabetes.

The same research team modelled the economic impact, and results suggest that takeaway management zones are associated with economic benefits to local authorities, despite policymakers' concerns and industry objections regarding potential economic losses. These results are mainly explained by the relatively low economic contribution of takeaways on the high street and the relatively high economic contribution of potential alternative uses of the retail space.

Katharine Jenner, Director of the Obesity Health Alliance, said: "The government and the Chief Medical Officer for England have recognised that the food environment entrenches inequalities and promotes obesity, instead of promoting good health. This must change. 

"We know that not all children are equally at risk - fast food outlets are disproportionately clustered in the most deprived parts of the country, where children are twice as likely to develop obesity by the time they leave primary school. These communities face up to five times more fast food outlets than wealthier areas, making healthy choices harder and widening health inequalities.

"Empowering local councils to create healthier food environments is crucial. Local leaders in areas like Gateshead are already showing exceptional leadership in tackling the harms of our broken food system. Their actions should inspire both local and national governments to follow suit."

Read in full: 

• National Policy Planning Framework - Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
• Chief Medical Officer’s Annual Report 2024 Health in Cities

Research:

• Moore, H et al, 2024. Appetite. Measuring the association between the opening of a new multi-national restaurant with young people’s eating behaviours
• Brown, H et al, Social Science & Medicine 2022. No new fast-food outlets allowed! Evaluating the effect of planning policy on the local food environment in the North East of England

Last modified: Fri, 20 Dec 2024 11:46:01 GMT