bbc-data-unit / takeaways

More takeaways on high street despite anti-obesity push

More takeaways on high street despite anti-obesity push

In October 2018 the BBC Shared Data Unit reported UK high streets had the highest concentration of fast food outlets since 2010.

Research suggests people most exposed to them are nearly twice as likely to be obese.

We analysed the latest business figures with population estimates from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and found:

• The UK had seen a 34% increase in fast food outlets from 2010 to 2018
• In 2010, the average number of fast food outlets per 100,000 people was 47. It had risen to 61 by 2018
• In nearly every area (204 out of 215) the rate of takeaways per 100,000 people was higher in 2018 than 2010

The Shared Data Unit makes data journalism available to news organisations across the media industry, as part of a partnership between the BBC and the News Media Association. Stories generated by the partnership included:

• The Scotsman: Calls to tackle the soaring number of fast food outlets in Scotland 23 October 2018

• The Scotsman: Leader comment: How Japan can help Scotland kick junk food habit 23 October 2018

• LBC radio: How can you eat well when unhealthy food is everywhere? 23 October 2018

• The Sun: FAST FOOD NATION Number of takeaways soars by a third in just eight years — fuelling obesity epidemic 24 October 2018

• The Times: Takeaways surge along with obesity 24 October 2018

• talkRADIO: Chair of the National Obesity Forum: ‘We are all eating far too much’ 23 October 2018

• Daily Mail: Nation gorging on fast food: Record surge in takeaways on almost every high street is feeding Britain's crippling obesity crisis 24 October 2018

• The i: Takeaway Cardiff: is the city really addicted to fast food? 26 October 2018

• Mail Online: Ten years ago, Jamie Oliver chose Rotherham to kick start a healthy eating revolution. Since then its takeaways have DOUBLED to 170, writes DAVID JONES on Britain's fast food road to ruin 27 October 2018

• ITV Wales: 73% of Blaenau Gwent's restaurants 'serve fast food' 23 October 2018

• Morpeth Herald: Figures reveal increase in fast-food outlets in Northumberland 22 October 2018

• Berwick Advertiser: Figures reveal increase in fast-food outlets in Northumberland 22 October 2018

• Rochdale Online: Takeaway-saturated Rochdale is one of UK’s hotspots 23 October 2018

• Cornish Stuff: Fast Food taking over the high street – but Cornish kids buck trend 23 October 2018

• Yorkshire Evening Post: Number of fast food outlets in Leeds is on the rise, figures reveal 23 October 2018

• News Guardian: North Tyneside in top 30 for numbers of fast-food outlets 23 October 2018

• ITV News Bradford: Hull and Bradford have country's highest proportions of fast food shops 23 October 2018

• Northumberland Gazette: Figures reveal increase in fast-food outlets in Northumberland 23 October 2018

• Redditch & Alcester Advertiser: Worcestershire sees rise in fast food outlets, BBC's Shared Data Unit reveals 23 October 2018

• ITV Central: Rise in fast food outlets across the Midlands as obesity rates reach record high 23 October 2018

• Northampton Chronicle & Echo: Takeaways make up a smaller slice of Northamptonshire's food outlets than in 2010 23 October 2018

• Kidderminster Shuttle: Worcestershire sees rise fast food outlets, BBC's Shared Data Unit reveals 23 October 2018

• ITV News Anglia: Number of takeaways up by a third in less than a month (sic)

• Sunderland Echo: Sunderland is named as takeaway blackspot as obesity levels grow 23 October 2018

• Bromsgrove Advertiser: Worcestershire sees rise fast food outlets, BBC's Shared Data Unit reveals 23 October 2018

• Edinburgh Evening News: Number of Edinburgh fast food outlets soaring, according to report 23 October 2018

• Stourbridge News: Wellbeing boss talks tough as BBC data shows rise in fast food takeaways 23 October 2018

• Barking and Dagenham Post: Fast food shop makes up majority of eateries in Barking and Dagenham 23 October 2018

• The Shields Gazette: South Tyneside named as country’s fourth worst takeaway blackspot 23 October 2018

• Pirate FM: Revealed... how many fast food outlets there are in Cornwall 23 October 2018

• Grimsby Live: Grimsby and Cleethorpes ranked in national top 20 for highest concentration of takeaways 23 October 2018

• South Wales Argus: Blaenau Gwent is top of the table for takeaways among all council areas nationally 23 October 2018

• ecnmy.org: Brits are getting fatter. Are takeaway joints to blame? 23 October 2018

• Catering Today: UK takeaways increase 34% in eight years despite anti-obesity push 23 October 2018

• Ilford Recorder: Takeaways up almost 50pc in Redbridge despite anti-obesity push 24 October 2018

• Blackpool Gazette: Surge in Blackpool takeaways coincides with rise in obesity 24 October 2018

• Lincolnshire Reporter: Rise in takeaways defies efforts to tackle obesity 24 October 2018

• Wigan Today: Hefty increase in the number of Wigan takeaways 24 October 2018

• Bradford Telegraph & Argus: Number of takeaways in Bradford more than doubles in eight years 24 October 2018

• Kent Online: Does Kent have too many fast food outlets? 24 October 2018

• Daddyhood.net: Record surge in takeaways on almost every high street 24 October 2018

• Stoke Sentinel/StokeonTrentLive: Revealed: The HUGE number of takeaways we now have in Stoke-on-Trent - so are we a city of fast food addicts? 25 October 2018

• Footprint: NEW POWERS FAILING TO RESTRICT TAKEAWAYS 25 October 2018

• Rotherham Advertiser: "Ditch the junk food" call as Rotherham takeaway numbers soar 26 October 2018

• Kent Online: Rising number of fast food outlets in Kent 26 October 2018

• Daily Echo: The crazy growth of coffee shops and fast food outlets 27 October 2018

• Romford Recorder: Takeaways grow in number in Havering despite anti-obesity push 29 October 2018

• Wales: Daily Post: Conwy revealed to be one of the fast food capitals of the UK 31 October 2018

• Scotland: Border Telegraph: Fast food outlets on rise in Borders 1 November 2018

• Southwark News: NUMBER OF SOUTHWARK FAST FOOD OUTLETS INCREASE DESPITE LINK TO HIGH CHILD OBESITY FIGURES 1 November 2018

• Scotland: Peeblesshire News: Fast food outlets on rise in Borders 1 November 2018

• Eastern Daily Press: Norfolk sees drop in fast food outlets despite more opening 6 November 2018

• Diss Mercury: Norfolk sees drop in fast food outlets despite more opening 6 November 2018

• The story was also used by BBC Breakfast, the Victoria Derbyshire programme, the BBC's national 6pm news, BBC Radio 4 Today, BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Sunday Morning Live, BBC Business Live on BBC World, Afternoon Live on the BBC News Channel, BBC Homepage, BBC Wales online, BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Leeds, BBC Three Counties Radio, BBC Radio Sheffield, BBC Look North TV, BBC South Today TV, BBC Radio Humberside, BBC Wiltshire, BBC Radio Cambridgeshire, BBC Radio Lincolnshire, BBC Radio Cumbria, BBC Radio York, BBC Radio Kent, BBC Radio Cornwall, BBC Hereford & Worcester, BBC Radio Solent, BBC Radio Suffolk, BBC Radio Shropshire and was distributed by the Press Association

Get the data

• Takeaway rates data

Visualisation

• Map: Where takeaways are most common

Background and briefing

• Project briefing