Recent figures showed that Blaenau Gwent has the highest proportion of fast food outlets in the UK. THOMAS MOODY went to find out why this is, and what is being done to help combat obesity in the area

BLAENAU Gwent is the takeaway capital of the UK, as recent figures revealed that a staggering 73 per cent of food outlets in the county are selling fast food.

55 of the 75 restaurants in Blaenau Gwent are fast food outlets, which is the highest proportion of any council area in England, Scotland, and Wales.

In comparison to the other Gwent authorities, two-thirds (66 per cent) of business selling food across Caerphilly sell takeaway fast food, while in Torfaen it is 65 out of 110 (59 percent).

In Newport, that number is 105 out of 220 (48 per cent), and in Monmouth it is 55 out of 150 (37 per cent).

But why does Blaenau Gwent have such a high proportion of fast food outlets?

Emma Stephens, manager of Classic Fish Bar Brynmawr, said that it is mainly a matter of convenience.

She said: “It’s popular because of people’s lifestyles. It’s quick and easy and it fits in with people’s busy lives.

“It probably works out cheaper as well to just grab a bag of chips than to buy a meal to cook at home.

“I think with fish and chips it’s not as bad as other takeaways. People are wanting healthier options, so we are looking to expand our menu to accommodate this.”

 

Christopher Baugh, owner of Twizzles Fish Bar in Brynmawr, also believes people’s lifestyles are the reason for the popularity of fast food outlets .

“Everyone’s got hard jobs and when they get home, they either don’t have time or don’t want to cook,” he said.

“There are people that come here and want a healthier meal.

“We are offering salad boxes, baguettes, jacket potatoes, and rice as an alternative to chips.

“Some people come here if as a treat. We try to offer them the best quality food we can, but make sure it is as healthy as possible.”

It is hard not to immediately think of the health implications of having this amount of fast food on hand can lead to.

Earlier this year, the Child Measurement Programme annual report revealed that 15.1 per cent of four and five-year-olds in Blaenau Gwent are classed as obese.

Only Merthyr Tydfil has a higher rate of obesity, at 17.5 per cent, well above the Welsh national average of 12.4 per cent.

The figures also showed more than a quarter of children across Wales - 27.1 per cent - are overweight or obese. This is much higher than the English average of 22.6 per cent.

Again, rates are slightly higher in Blaenau Gwent and Caerphilly, but lower in Newport, Torfaen and Monmouthshire.

Public Health Wales highlighted the clear relationship between obesity and fast food, and are looking to help authorities in their battles against obesity.

Dr Chrissie Pickin, executive director of health and wellbeing for Public Health Wales, said: “We know that people who eat fast food regularly are more likely to be overweight or obese – which is not surprising given that most fast foods are high in calories, fat and sugar.

“However, the relationship between fast food outlets, how many there are in an area, and levels of obesity are less clear cut. The research tends to show that it is the range and mix of food outlets in an area that is more important.

 

McDonald's in Ebbw Vale

“Public Health Wales does support making it easier for local authorities to object to new applications for fast food outlets in areas where there is already a high number compared to other outlets, and where there are concerns about levels of obesity.

“We would also like to work with the fast food sector to improve labelling and information to support customers in making choices, and to encourage changes to recipes, the menu and portion sizes to make the options healthier.”

Blaenau Gwent council said it is looking to provide options and support for people to live a healthier lifestyle.

A spokeswoman for the council said: “As part of the new Blaenau Gwent Well-Being Plan agreed earlier this year, the Council is working with its relevant partners through our Public Services Board to encourage and support people to make healthy lifestyle choices to enable children, young people and families to thrive.

“Part of this work will include exploring the root causes and barriers of why people make unhealthy choices and we are fully committed to supporting local people and communities to become more healthy and active.

“In the first year of this work we are focusing on our ‘Blaenau Gwent on the Move’ project, encouraging people to be more active and looking at how we can support this such as introducing more active travel routes and maximising our green spaces and nature reserves.

“We are also focusing on partnership working around the First 1,000 days of life, which actively promotes active lifestyle choices for families.

“We are currently seeing more and more people enjoying fitness here in the county borough and Park Run and ‘Couch to 5k’ has never been more popular.

“It remains however for each individual to make health and lifestyle choices for themselves and their families.

“By all working together maybe we can promote the importance of a balanced diet and lifestyle for the current and future generations of Blaenau Gwent.”

The Aneurin Leisure Trust has been working with residents in Blaenau Gwent to provide them with the opportunities to live a healthy lifestyle.

The Trust run three sports centres located around Blaenau Gwent at Abertillery, Ebbw Vale and Tredegar.

 

Ebbw Vale Leisure Centre

Each centre has a gym, and offers a varied programme of more than 40 fitness classes. They also have three swimming pools, and 3G pitches.

According to the Trust, people who undertake regular physical activity have up to a 30 per cent lower risk of early death.

To stay healthy, adults should try to be active every day and aim to achieve at least 150 minutes of physical activity over a week through a variety of different activities.