Northern regions have some of the poorest diets in England, putting them at risk of conditions such as obesity, hypertension and other preventable diseases according to researchers.
Their report 'Food, Health and Nutrition in the North of England: Inequalities and Opportunities' is published by the Northern Health Science Alliance's Nutrition North network which includes Lancaster University.
It explores a range of factors associated with diet and nutrition, including dietary habits, health outcomes, food security and the regional food environment. The report has been backed by Hairy Biker Si King, who has included a foreword.
The analysis shows that people in the North generally have a lower intake of nutrients such as calcium, fibre, vegetables, and healthy fatty acids than the national average, and spend less on household food per week than the rest of England. Northern regions also have higher levels of adult obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and greater mortality rates from preventable cancer, and preventable cardiovascular and liver diseases.
The authors point to a number of influencing factors, including higher food insecurity, lack of access to healthy foods, and the high numbers of fast food outlets located in the North.
Professor of Health Inequalities Heather Brown from Lancaster University co-authored a case study for the report entitled "Policies to limit new fast-food outlets and reduce childhood obesity" based on her research with Dr Huasheng Xiang from Lancaster University Management School among others.
They compared Newcastle City Council's restricting new takeaways near schools with Gateshead Council's more restrictive measures that prevented any existing non-fast-food commercial property from being converted into a hot fast-food takeaway.
In deprived areas in Gateshead with the highest concentration of fast-food outlets, the prevalence of overweight and obese children was reduced by almost 5% compared with other local North East neighbourhoods. Following this research, Newcastle City Council has now revised its supplementary planning document to follow the Gateshead model.
Professor Brown said: "Given that a majority of local authorities in England have implemented planning policies that target hot food takeaways, if these are like Gateshead's and are suitably robust and restrictive, it is possible that they could contribute to our efforts to reduce childhood overweight and obesity. Furthermore, given that such food establishments are found in greater density in more deprived communities, such policies may help reduce health inequalities."
The authors of the report are calling for policymakers to adopt a range of targeted recommendations to address this issue. These include strategies to improve access to healthy food in the North and prevent food insecurity, the establishment of a skilled nutritionist workforce in the North, improved collection of regional-level diet data, and measures to ensure families have enough income to meet their basic needs.
Analysis in the report reveals that:
- Intake of calcium, fibre, vegetables, fruit, legumes, healthy fatty acids and sodium are all lower in the North than the England average
- The average household in England spends 16% more on food per week than a household in the North East. In the North East, the average weekly household food expenditure is £56.30, the lowest in the country. The average household spend in England is £65.50
- Weekly expenditure on fruit and vegetables in northern regions is up to £3.27 less than the England average
- The North West has the highest percentage of households experiencing food insecurity (13%) of all regions in England
- The North has 103.6 fast food outlets per 100,000 people, compared to an average of 81.9 in England. This is 26% higher than the national average
- The three northern regions have the highest levels of adult obesity in the country: 32.2% in the North East, 29.3% in the North West, and 28.9% in Yorkshire and the Humber
- The North East has the highest levels of childhood obesity in 10-11 year olds at 24.5%, compared to 19.1% in the South West
- The North has the highest rates of all-cause adult mortality across England, with more than 100 additional deaths per 100,000 than the England average
- The prevalence of hypertension in the North East is 54% higher than in London
- The three northern regions have the highest mortality rates in the country for preventable cancer, preventable cardiovascular disease, and preventable liver disease.
- Deaths from Cardiovascular Disease (CVD), cancer and liver disease in under 75s are higher in the three northern regions than the English average - with the North West experiencing the highest rates of CVD, cancer and the North East experiencing the highest rates of liver disease.
The researchers say that addressing these challenges will not just transform outcomes for northern communities but also reduce the strain on the UK health system. The NHS is estimated to spend over £11.4 billion a year treating and managing obesity alone, with the wider social costs estimated at £74.3 billion annually. It spends £10.7 billion a year treating diabetes, which is around 6% of the UK health budget.
The report features several recommendations based on research and existing policy, which will help improve outcomes for communities in the North. These include:
· The implementation of place-based strategies to provide more equitable access to healthy food across multiple societal sectors
· Supporting local authorities in restricting fast food advertising as well as planning permission for new takeaways.
· Improving collection of regional data on nutrition and diet is improved to inform local decision making.
Si King, Hairy Biker and television presenter, who has written a foreword for the report, said: "As someone who's proudly called the North East home my whole life, I've seen up close the struggles our communities face - especially when it comes to food and nutrition. Food should nourish us, bring us together, and help us thrive, but too many in the North are missing out on the basics: fibre, calcium, fresh veg, and healthy fats. These aren't luxuries - they're essentials. We need action now - local solutions, skilled nutritionists, and secure incomes - so that every family in the North has the chance to eat well and live well."
Hannah Davies, Chief Executive of Northern Health Science Alliance and Executive Director of Health Equity North, said: "In the North, communities face a huge variety of challenges when it comes to putting healthy food on the table. Northern regions experience higher levels of deprivation so sadly it comes as no great surprise that they also have some of the highest rates of food insecurity in the country, and some of the lowest weekly spends on food. We also have more fast food outlets per head than anywhere else in England. It is therefore no surprise that we have the highest rates of preventable diseases, and of conditions such as childhood and adult obesity.
"This report offers clear recommendations on how to address these challenges, with targeted investment and improved data. It also shares examples of how experts in the North are already tackling these issues head-on, through research and policy. By supporting these experts in their work, and offering more support for communities that need it, we can deliver significant results."
The report has been produced by the Northern Health Science Alliance's Nutrition North network and Health Equity North. Nutrition North is a network of nutrition and food scientists and practitioners across the North. It aims to support the health and economic development of the North through improving regional nutrition and clinical nutrition guidance, as well as supporting its potential in academic nutrition science. It is facilitated by the NHSA, a partnership established by leading universities and NHS Hospital trusts in the North of England to improve health outcomes in the region.