Obese people live near fast food – study

That is the conclusion of a study by the British Medical Journal last week, while latest government figures show more than half of Kirklees’s adult population is overweight.

The report suggested people living or working near takeaways are twice as likely to be overweight or obese.

The study concluded: “Exposure to takeaway food outlets in home, work, and commuting environments combined was associated with marginally higher consumption of takeaway food, greater body mass index, and greater odds of obesity.

“Government strategies to promote healthier diets through planning restrictions for takeaway food could be most effective if focused around the workplace.”

According to Cabinet Office statistics, during the past decade in the United Kingdom, consumption of food away from the home has increased by 29 per cent.

Latest government figures suggest a king-size 61 per cent of adults in Kirklees are overweight while almost a third of 11-year-olds are tipping the scales at unhealthily high weights.

Kirklees Council said it had a number of services ready to help people get their weight down and maintain a healthy figure.

Over the last four years, GPs in Kirklees have referred more than 5,000 adults to the Adult Weight Management Service, which helps people who are dangerously overweight to help maintain a healthy weight.

Tony Cooke, head of health improvement for Kirklees Council, said: “The council has a range of specialist services available to support adults who wish to make some positive changes which will ultimately mean that they will lose excess weight and reduce their risk of developing type two diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers.

“Figures show that 61 percent of adults in Kirklees have an unhealthy high weight.

“While this figure is lower than surrounding local authorities there is a lot of work still to do.”

For more information on the weight management service, or for other tips to help manage your weight, visit: www.healthyweight4kirklees.nhs.uk.