‘our takeaway culture is killing us’

The high streets are rammed with fast-food outlets and our waistlines are expanding – Dr C is sending us back to the kitchen

The number of T fast-food joints in England has risen by 4,000 in the past three years, which means there are now more than 56,000 of them.

They make up more than a quarter of our food outlets, but it’s even worse in more deprived areas – in Blackburn-withdarwen, for example, 38 per cent of all eateries are takeaways.

We know that being exposed to junk food close to home and at work is associated with having a higher BMI and an increased chance of obesity. It’s human nature – anything that’s easy and convenient is attractive. Plus we often use food as a coping mechanism whenever life throws us a curveball. We’re apparently exposed to 32 takeaway joints every single day – that’s hard to ignore.

KNOW THE RISKS

That said, people do have to take responsibility for their health. Obesity is linked to pretty much every serious disease there is so you need to be aware of the risks. Nearly two thirds of UK adults are overweight or obese and we spend a whopping £28 billion on takeaways every year.

Ordering in may feel like the easy option, but there are loads of simple recipes online. Food writer and single mum Jack Munroe, from Southend, fed herself and her son for £10 a week. Her website, www. cookingonabootstrap.com is packed with recipes that cost pennies. While Jamie Oliver’s Quick And Easy Food recipes (Channel 4) are aimed at anyone who thinks they don’t have time to cook – think again! Also remember there’s nothing wrong with frozen and tinned fruit, veg, pulses and fish. They’re infinitely better than fried chicken.

BREAK BAD HABITS

These days, 18-24 year olds are seven times more likely to eat takeaways compared to over65s – that’s probably because they’ve grown up surrounded by fast food and it’s become a habit. If you start to cook more, and have your children help you, your confidence will grow and so will theirs. Under-35s have been dubbed the “takeaway generation” – with one in eight eating takeaways twice a day. That’s shocking, but with services like Deliveroo and UBEREATS it’s so much easier to get into bad habits, especially if you’re busy.

A takeaway once or twice a month won’t kill you, but if it’s a regular part of your weekly diet that’s a big worry. A typical Chinese takeaway provides around 2,184 calories, while the average Indian takeaway contains 1,338 calories.

Just swapping one takeaway per week for a homemade dinner will make a big difference. Then remove another and so on. You’ll start to feel so much healthier.