An east London council has said that a scheme they introduced a year ago banning fast food venues from targeting schoolchildren has resulted in a reduction in child obesity.
The council banned junk food shops from opening within 400m of schools, parks and leisure centres. Secondary schools in the area also routinely ban schoolchildren from leaving school premises to get lunch, ensuring that through school dinners they at least receive one healthy meal a day.
Since the policy was introduced, no new fast food restaurants have opened in the borough. The number of fast food outlets in the borough has fallen from 253 to 241, resulting in the rates of obesity amongst Waltham Forest’s children in year 6 (9 and 10 year olds) falling. For the age group, obesity levels from from 22.8% in the year before the ban was introduced to 20.6% in 2008/9.
The council said that residents of the borough had overwhelmingly backed the drive to cut obesity levels and added that they hoped it would not only lead to streets becoming cleaner and safer but would offer a better mix of shops, cafes and restaurants.Over the last year, the council have rejected 5 applications from new takeaway companies.
They say that 15 other councils have now been in contact to get more details about the scheme, with the intention of setting it up in their own boroughs.
If you are interested in how fast food is significantly affecting obesity levels in the West, there was a fantastic article in the Guardian about how the addictive combination of salt, sugar and fat in junk food has changed the way we eat but left us with a terrifying legacy of obesity. The article is extracted from author David A Kessler’s book The End of Overeating: Taking Control of Our Insatiable Appetite, which could also be worth a read.