"Fish and chips is in fact a fantastic natural, nutritional meal which is good value for money and an excellent source of protein - far better than most other takeaway foods. A portion of fish and chips provides the body with carbohydrate, vitamins B6 and B12, vitamin C, iron, calcium, phosphorous, as well as the trace elements iodine, fluorine, zinc and some important dietary fibre.

As is regularly stated in the world of food and diets, items of food on their own won^t make you fat, but rather it is the amount of food that one eats, in relation to the energy that an individual expends, that influences weight and levels of obesity. So it is with fish and chips; if eaten in moderation and as part of a balanced diet, fish and chips is a wholesome, nutritious meal which contains less additives than other takeaways such as burgers and curries, and also contains a number of essential vitamins.

Fish and chips is one of the least adulterated prepared foods that we can eat; wild caught fish, freshly harvested potatoes, some flour for batter, an oil for the cooking medium, and all cooked with care and attention, skill and expertise to produce a tasty and nutritious meal. Plain and simple ... how many other takeaway foods can ever say that about themselves?

The quick frying methods used today and the high quality oils used by most fish and chip shops, mean that very little oil, if any, gets into the actual fish. The total fat content of an average portion of fish and chips is estimated to be 48.2g. This compares favourably with a cheese and ham sandwich with mayonnaise which has 51.98g fat and a donner kebab in pitta bread with salad and chips, which has a total fat content of 57.74g.

The calorie count of an average portion of fish & chips is in the region of 861 calories, and according to the British Nutrition Foundation, taking information from the UK Department of Health, estimated average requirements (EAR), for men and women is that men (aged between 19-50 years) can consume up to 2,550 calories on a daily basis, and women (aged between 19-50 years) can consume up 1,940 calories. Thus ensuring that if eaten as part of a balanced and controlled diet, you can continue to enjoy fish and chips as a regular mealtime option.

These are not NFFF statistics but come from Seafish. www.seafish.org

Inaddition with correctly prepared fish and chips salt is only added at the customers discretion after cooking also Fish & Chips contains no added sugar.

Fish and Chips is one of the healthiest takeaway meal options available and should not be associated with unhealthy high streets.

I would also like to add that all these so called "unhealthy" businesses provide employment in their communities and have secured their premises in the open market, perhaps we need to ask why so called "healthy" businesses are unwilling to invest in some locations.”

 

Stuart Atkinson NFFF Vice President

RSPH publishes league table of

"unhealthiest high streets”

New research finds towns and cities in North and Midlands are more likely to have higher concentrations of businesses which may harm the public’s health

The Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) has published a league table ranking 70 of the UK’s major towns and cities based on the proportion of businesses found in their main retail area that either support or harm the public’s health.

 

The league table forms part of RSPH’s Health on the High Street campaign which aims to make high streets healthier, by encouraging businesses to take steps to promote health while also giving further powers to local authorities in the areas of planning and licensing. Based on public and expert opinion, the Society has identified bookmakers, payday loan shops, fast food outlets and tanning salons as having the most negative impact on health, and pharmacies, leisure centres, and health services as having the most positive impact. Businesses were scored by over 2000 members of the public* and experts, on the extent to which they encourage healthy choices; promote social interaction; provide access to health advice; and promote positive mental wellbeing. Based on the scoring and the prevalence of these different businesses in each town or city, they were ranked.

 

 

Places with the unhealthiest retail areas:

 

1.Preston

2.Middlesbrough

3.Coventry

4.Blackpool

5.Northampton

6.Wolverhampton

7.Grimsby

8.Huddersfield

9.Stoke on Trent

10.Eastbourne

 

Places with the healthiest retail areas:

 

1. Shrewsbury

2. Ayr

3. Salisbury

4. Perth

5. Hereford

6. Carlisle

7. Cambridge

8. Cheltenham

9. York

10. Bristol

RSPH is now calling on the next Government, to introduce a range of measures to make high streets more health promoting, including:

·Local authorities to be given greater planning powers to prevent the proliferation of betting shops, payday lenders and fast food outlets;

·Public health criteria to be a condition of licensing for all types of business;

·Mandatory food hygiene ratings linked to calorie and nutrition labelling for fast food outlets;

·A limit of 5% of each type of business on a high street in order to avoid oversaturation and provide affordable choice;

·Legislation to enable local councils to set their own differential business rates to encourage healthier outlets and discourage those that are detrimental to health.

Shirley Cramer CBE, Chief Executive, Royal Society for Public Health: "While our ranking of towns and cities is by no means a reflection on whether these areas are generally healthy or unhealthy, our research does find higher concentrations of unhealthy businesses exist in places which already experience high levels of deprivation and premature mortality. We recognise that businesses investing in High Streets are important for local economies; but this shouldn’t be at any price. The Five Year Forward View calls for us to move "further and faster” to improve the public’s health. This could be achieved by granting Local Authorities enhanced powers to create a rich mix of health promoting businesses on our high streets and encouraging businesses to promote healthy choices.”