Blackburn with Darwen Council's new steps to tackle obesity

Both Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council (BwD) and Lancashire County Council (LCC) have said they are introducing plans to ensure takeaways will not be allowed in wards where obesity rates are high or close to schools.

BwD have had rules in place since 2017 meaning takeaways could not be approved if they were within 400m of schools, but a review of their Healthy Weight Declaration later this month will see this expanded to entire wards where more than 10 per cent of year 6 pupils are classified as obese.

It comes as figures show there was a rise in the number of hospital admissions for patients with obesity in Blackburn with Darwen in 2023.

Data from NHS Digital shows obesity was the primary or secondary cause of around 2,250 hospital admissions for patients in the borough last year, compared to around 2,440 the year before.

Councils are introducing plans to limit the number of takeaway approvals (Image: PA/Radar)

Nationally, admissions have increased by eight per cent since last year, when 1.1million were recorded.

Cllr Damian Talbot, the council’s executive member for public health and housing, said: “Blackburn with Darwen Council’s public health team continues to work incredibly hard to improve the overall health and wellbeing of our residents and reduce obesity rates in the borough.

“As a council, we adopted the Local Authority Healthy Weight Declaration in 201, and we are renewing the declaration later this month. This confirms the council’s commitment to the health and wellbeing of the population when decisions are being made, especially with regards to planning, commercial relationships and advertising.

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“The Declaration is supported by other partners across BwD including health, education and the voluntary, community and faith sectors.”

Mr Talbot said in a bid to tackle issues with obesity in the borough, planning applications for new hot food takeaways will not be allowed in wards where more than 10 per cent of Year 6 pupils are classified as obese.

He added the council’s Recipe 4 Health scheme encourages all food businesses, schools, and care homes to provide healthier options on their menus and to make sure these options are not more expensive than unhealthier alternatives.

“Simple actions like reducing the amount of salt and sugar in food, changing the kinds of fats used during cooking and providing salad or vegetables as a side alternative can go a long way to helping people to make healthier choices and live a healthier life,” he said.

Cllr Damian Talbot (Image: BwD Council)

Figures for the rest of Lancashire showed there were around 28,800 obesity-related hospital admissions in 2023, up from 24,725 the previous year.

Lancashire County Council said a package of measures to help tackle obesity is set to be agreed by councillors as part of its Healthy Weight programme.

The programme aims to help people maintain a healthy Body Mass Index (BMI), and the measures include offering public health advice to district councils to help when they consider new planning applications for takeaways.

The guidance recommends opposing additional takeaways within 400m of secondary schools or in areas where there are high childhood obesity levels.

Areas which are classed as among the most deprived will also be included in the advice to oppose new takeaways.

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Restrictions could also be agreed to prevent advertising food and drink high in fat, salt or sugar, as well as tobacco, vapes, alcohol or gambling on any advertising sites owned by the council.

County councillor Michael Green, cabinet member for health and wellbeing, said: “Tackling obesity is an important issue and we are trying to help people make the best choices for themselves and their families.

“Poor diet is associated with long-lasting health conditions as well as risks of cancer and heart disease.

Lancashire County Council is introducing a programme to help people maintain a healthy BMI (Image: Lancashire County Council)

“The three projects in this Healthy Weights plan all tie in with helping the community to be happier with healthier products and services to choose from.”

Earlier this month the Government confirmed it will introduce legislation to ban companies advertising products deemed high in fat, salt and sugar on TV before 9pm.

It will also include a total ban on paid-for online adverts for these products.

The ban, which was first proposed by Boris Johnson in 2021, will come into force in October 2025.

The NHS figures also reveal how many prescriptions were issued for Orlistat, a treatment for obesity available on the NHS that prevents some fat consumed from being absorbed by the body.

Across the NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board there were 16,347 Orlistat prescriptions issued in the year ending March 2023, or nine for every 1,000 people.

This was a 19% increase over the last year.