Deliveroo culture set to make UK the fat man of Europe
The rise of ‘Deliveroo lifestyles’ will make Britain the fattest country in europe within a decade, the World health Organisation warns.
Meal delivery apps are fuelling an obesity crisis by encouraging overeating and physical inactivity, according to health officials.
And poor eating habits were spurred by the pandemic, when Britons became hooked on having food dropped at their door after being ordered to stay at home.
health chiefs said services such as Deliveroo and Just eat have quickly become part of the nation’s ‘culture and lifestyle’.
A major report, published by the WhO yesterday, says restaurant and takeaway meals often contain more fat, sugar and salt than those cooked at home, meaning people consume 200 calories more per day on average if they do not make meals themselves.
On top of this, apps make it easy to order food without leaving the sofa, so there is less opportunity for exercise.
Britain ranks third in europe for obesity, behind Turkey and Malta, with 27.8 per cent of adults found to be excessively overweight.
But this could soar to 37 per cent – more than one in three adults – by 2033, higher than any other nation.
The report says the obesity crisis has reached ‘epidemic proportions’ in europe, causing an estimated 1.2million deaths every year.
Dr Kremlin Wickramasinghe, the WhO’s lead for non-communicable diseases in europe, warned Britain is among the worst offenders of unhealthy lifestyle trends. Speaking at the european Congress on Obesity in Maastricht, the Netherlands, he said: ‘In the UK we see a larger proportion of the population being exposed to this kind of environment.
‘You see the same things in other countries but in the UK you see a greater proportion having online food deliveries and being exposed to advertising.
‘The proportion of the population covered by these takeaways and online food deliveries is greater. It is very big in the UK compared to other countries.’
he added: ‘We saw a rapid expansion in the use and popularity of food delivery apps during the Covid-19 pandemic ... They did very well and have quickly become part of our culture and lifestyle.
‘however, they have the potential to increase obesity as they drive people to order more than they need.
‘It is also difficult to manage the size of your portions when ordering through an app.’ Deliveroo more than doubled its customers in the first half of last year, with orders increasing 110 per cent in the UK and Ireland compared to the first half of 2020. Just eat also saw orders soar by 76 per cent in the first half of 2021.
The WhO report warns portion sizes are often larger, encouraging overeating, and ‘package deals or loyalty dising count rewards can encourage over-ordering’.
Tam Fry, from the National Obesity Forum, said: ‘People have got used to this Deliveroo lifestyle where they can get whatever they want delivered to their door 24/7 without having to move a muscle.
‘Our street is littered with delivery bikes day and night as people like the convenience of the service. It would be healthier if people were cookfor themselves or at least walking to the local chippy.’ he added: ‘even primary school children are using food apps to deliver meals and pizzas to their classroom.’
The WhO report calls for an end to unhealthy food marketing targeting children.
Deliveroo said it wants to ‘provide the right information and a greater selection of healthier choices on our platform’, while Just eat said many restaurants on its platform offer healthier options and smaller portion sizes.
Calling the projections ‘deeply concerning’, Scottish Conservative public health spokesman Sue Webber said the SNP ‘simply haven’t used the powers at their disposal to tackle rising obesity rates across Scotland’.
A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘Addressing obesity remains a public health priority to ensure Scotland is a place where we eat well, have a healthy weight and are physically active.’
‘At least walk to the local chippy’