Takeaway hours plan fails to curb child obesity

A plan to restrict the opening hours of fast food outlets near schools has failed to curb childhood obesity, with rates instead rising.

In 2014 Medway Council put rules in place which limited takeaways if they were located within 400m (1,312ft) of a school.

Public Health England data showed that 21.9% of reception children and 32.8% of year six children measured were either overweight or obese in Medway in 2013/14 - but 10 years on the rates have risen with 22.3% of Medway’s reception children and 37.4% of year six children being overweight or obese.

Councillor Adrian Gulvin said the takeaway plan had "not been successful" and it "does come down to personal responsibility".

Medway had 238 takeaways in 2014, 179 of them within 400m of a school – 10 years later, the total number of takeaways has reduced to 221.

However, obesity in the area has increased faster than the England average of 21.3% of reception children and 36.6% of year six children being overweight or obese, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Mr Gulvin told a children and young people overview and scrutiny committee discussing the obesity plan: “It does come down to personal responsibility at the end of the day.

"All of that ‘chips with everything’ and not having the five fruit and veg a day. Partially it is a choice.

“If you go hard you get those who resist because it feels a bit nanny state," he added.

Dr Julian Spinks, a GP based in the Medway Towns, said: “I think it was a reasonable thing to do but as a measure on its own it’s not enough.”

He said the prevalence of ultra-processed foods in supermarkets and takeaways is a major driver of obesity.

Councillor Teresa Murray, the authority’s deputy leader and chairwoman of the health and wellbeing board, said the council's decision had been "the right one" but that "no single policy" could tackle the ever-growing epidemic of childhood obesity.

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