Britain’s high streets are being turned into “junk food zones”, with fast-food outlets surging by almost 60 per cent in a decade as obesity spirals out of control, a new report reveals.

The shocking findings come as Government figures show nearly two-thirds of adults in England – 64 per cent – are now overweight or living with obesity, piling pressure on the NHS and fuelling fears of a public health timebomb.

The study exposes how high streets across the country are now dominated by fast food, sweet shops and calorie-laden takeaway chains – creating what health experts warn is a constant environment of temptation for families and children.

Researchers found that the number of fast-food outlets on UK high streets has increased by 59 per cent between 2014 and 2024, mirroring the sharp rise in obesity and diet-related illness.

Health campaigners say the findings underline how Britain’s food environment has become “stacked against” ordinary people trying to eat healthily – particularly those living in town and city centres.

The findings land amid mounting concern about the health consequences of Britain’s expanding waistline.

According to the latest Government data, 64 per cent of adults in England are overweight or obese, while around one in three children leave primary school overweight or obese.

Tam Fry, Chair of the National Obesity Forum, “This is a national crisis and the reason is because there is fast food everywhere you go. It is ruining people’s health. This is the inevitable occurrence of governments that have failed to protect the public from the mountain of ultra processed foods they’ve had for decades. It is the government’s fault that the food industry is not regulated. The food industry is there to make money for the food industry. It will not do anything for public health unless it is incentivised to do so.”

And Professor Carl Heneghan said: “This has become a crisis. We are unhealthier and un-fitter than ever and it will cost us a fortune. We have rampant chronic weight related disease starting in childhood and early adulthood.

“We live in a fast food outlet world with highly processed food ladled with calories – our diet is becoming trash. This is now a public health public health priority.”

The Chemist4U analysis examined major high streets in the UK’s most populated cities, counting the number of outlets selling foods classed as unhealthy – including fast-food chains, ice-cream parlours, confectionery stores, bakeries and convenience shops – within a 500-metre radius.

In some locations, nearly half of all food outlets were found to be unhealthy, creating what critics describe as “obesogenic” environments where cheap, ultra-processed food is impossible to avoid.

One of the most striking findings was St Peter’s Street in Derby topped the national list, with 46 percent of nearby food outlets classed as unhealthy – meaning almost every other shop sells food linked to weight gain.

Obesity is a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, joint problems and some cancers, costing the NHS an estimated £6.5 billion a year – with wider costs to society running far higher.

Health chiefs have repeatedly warned that unless action is taken to tackle the food environment, the next generation could face shorter, less healthy lives than their parents.

Campaigners say the dominance of junk food is being driven by a perfect storm of rising living costs, cheap ultra-processed food and struggling high streets.

Fast-food chains often benefit from lower overheads and high footfall, making them more likely to survive where traditional greengrocers, butchers and cafés have disappeared.

Health groups are now renewing calls for tighter planning controls on fast-food outlets, clearer labelling, restrictions on advertising aimed at children, and incentives to bring healthier food back to town centres.

Some councils have already introduced bans on new takeaways near schools – but critics say national leadership is needed. Parents have also voiced concerns about the impact on children, with clusters of takeaways near schools accused of encouraging unhealthy habits from an early age.

The report did find some brighter spots. London’s Oxford Street ranked as the “healthiest” high street in the study, with fewer than one in five food outlets classed as unhealthy – a result researchers attribute to a wider mix of retail, restaurants and tourist-focused businesses.

But experts caution that even so-called “healthier” high streets are still surrounded by fast food and sugary snacks.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said:

“This government is taking unprecedented action to tackle the obesity crisis as part of our 10 Year Health Plan, which is shifting the focus of care from sickness to prevention.

“As part of our mission to raise the healthiest generation of children ever, we have given local authorities stronger, clearer powers to block new fast food outlets opening near schools.

“We’re also extending the soft drinks industry levy to cover more products, including sugary milk-based drinks, restricting advertising of junk food on TV and online, limiting volume price promotions on less healthy foods, and introducing mandatory reporting and targets on sales of healthy food.

“A healthier nation will mean less pressure on our NHS, a healthier economy and a happier society.”