UK’S most deprived areas have five times more fast food outlets

“FOOD swamps” in deprived areas of the UK are making it increasingly difficult for children to access healthy food, according to a new global report.

Poorer neighbourhoods are shown to have five times more fast food outlets than affluent areas, with children twice as likely to be obese.

Senior figures at Unicef, which compiled the report, today warn that such areas – dubbed “food swamps” – must be confronted to ensure children are not “pushed into a life of ill health through no fault of their own”.

Entitled The State of the World’s Children 2019, it highlights the influence of high-calorie, low-nutrient junk food outlets dominating the retail food environment. One in three UK school-leavers is overweight or obese.

The study, which looks at children’s nutrition worldwide, says: “England’s poorest areas are fast-food hotspots, with five times more outlets than in the most affluent areas. Children from poorer areas are disproportionately exposed to takeaways selling fried chicken, burgers and pizzas, and poorer areas also have more visible advertising for unhealthy foods than wealthier areas.

“The UK food retail environment

‘Every year, Government’s failure to act means more children are being pushed into a life of ill health’

encourages unhealthy foods consumption.” And it adds: “At the same time, nearly two million children in England live in food poverty, and less than one fifth of five- to 15-year-olds eat five portions of fruits and vegetables a day.

“In an affluent city like London, almost one in 10 children reports going to bed hungry.” But the report, published today, concludes: “Even though much remains to be done to tackle childhood obesity, the UK is paving the way to ensure that all children grow up in a healthy food environment.”

It points to advances in the UK, including the introduction of the sugar tax and current consultation on new legislation to ban unhealthy foods at checkouts as well as price promotions.

The report also highlights the setting up of the Healthy Start Scheme to provide fruit and vegetable vouchers to low-income families with children.

Liam Sollis, the head of policy at Unicef UK, said: “Every year, the Government’s failure to act means more children being pushed into a life of ill health through no fault of their own.”

Globally, the Unicef report says, one in three children under five worldwide are malnourished, and two in three under-twos live on poor diets.

Unicef has urged governments and the food industry to do more to tackle malnutrition caused by both undernutrition and childhood obesity.