Britain’s ‘unhealthiest high streets’, where shoppers are treated to an array of fast food outlets, ice cream parlours and takeaways have been revealed.
A survey carried out by Chemist4U scanned the country’s most populated cities to discover which streets had the highest number of unhealthy shops operating within a 500-metre radius.
Topping the poll is St Peter’s Street in Derby, where nearly half of the shops (46.1 per cent) comprise either fast food outlets, ice cream parlors, confectioneries or bakeries.
Meanwhile Hales Street in Coventry was found to have 44 out of 104 stores (42.3 per cent) offering calorific options.
Moving towards the coast, Southend’s High Street offers more than a third (38.1%) of diet-busting options to residents and visitors.
New Street in Birmingham has 141 unhealthy stores out of 383 (36.8 per cent), while Newport’s High Street boasts 87 businesses out of 248, or just over a third (35.1%), selling junk food.
The new research comes in the wake of a 59 per cent increase in fast food outlets appearing in UK high streets over the last decade.
And one in five adults (26.2 per cent) in England are currently thought to be living with obesity, according to the latest Government figures.
For those living in Derby, residents said they were saddened to find St Peter’s Street has been awarded the dubious accolade of topping the survey.
‘It’s like a sea of takeaways that you see when you walk down here,’ said Julia Hill, 31, who works in marketing. ‘I don’t see a reason to pass through here very often.
‘I think having all these unhealthy foods on offer in the heart of a city sets a wrong example for young people.’
Thomas, 78, who has lived in Derby for most of his life, revealed he was saddened by the developments in the high street. ‘I remember when this place had a soul,’ he said.
‘It feels like that has been wiped away and now the street is just about where you can quickly get food.’
Thomas said he had observed the food culture changing over the years. ‘Nowadays, people want to go into a shop and leave with their food in hand within five minutes. They don’t even care about sitting down.
‘Eating out used to be a luxury. Now it’s easier and quicker, but I feel like folks should be aware of the consequences for their health,’ he said.
A worker in a chain restaurant, who did not wish to be identified, said they were ‘only following demand’ when deciding to open a branch in Derby’s high street.
‘If people’s needs are feeding their family quickly, they will come to us. If someone wants a quick bite after a long day at work, they come to us.
‘We look to offer healthy options on our menu, but we can’t decide what the people want, of course.’
A worker at a restaurant on the street has said, however, that they have been able to set themselves apart from the ‘unhealthy’ offerings in the area.
‘We try to be different, and so far it has worked well for us,’ said Vyas Suresh of the South Indian restaurant House Boat on St Peter’s Street.
‘Our cuisine is quite niche, but we get very busy on weekends. I feel like the demand for independents is still there, so we try to offer customers a great experience which will be different from chains or takeaways.’
Derby City Council described the research as flawed.
A spokesperson said: ‘All of the streets mentioned are major high streets, so of course they’re going to have a high number of catering outlets to appeal to visitors.’
They added that due to changes to the national planning system, the council had only limited ability to choose who opens on high streets.
‘Nonetheless, we are exploring ways we may be able to limit the proliferation of uses like takeaways on key streets in work to develop our new Local Plan,’ they said.
The council told Derbyshire Live they had taken a ‘whole systems approach’ to health, ‘collaborating with community groups, businesses, and the NHS to promote healthy choices to residents’.
The spokesperson added: ‘We also offer support though our Livewell service which provides a free programme of exercise sessions and healthy eating advice.
‘Testimonials from residents show how they’ve achieved sustainable and lasting health benefits through the personal support offered by this service.’
Jason Murphy from Chemist4U said having such a proliferation of fast food shops in one area could impact people’s choices.
‘It’s easy to fall into unhealthy eating habits when fast food and sugary snacks are so readily available on our high streets,’ he said.
‘While the occasional treat is fine, regularly relying on processed foods can have long-term effects on your weight, heart health, and energy levels.
‘Small, sustainable changes, such as swapping fizzy drinks for water or choosing grilled options over fried, can make a real difference.’