Dr Monsivais’ talk today focuses on whether inequities in neighbourhood food
environments contribute to inequalities in diet and health.
Food environments, characterised by the density, distribution and types of food
outlets on our high streets and in our neighbourhoods, are recognised as a population-
level determinant of eating habits and health. In fact, the proliferation of
fast food outlets in England was raised as a public health concern by the Chief
Medical Officer in her most recent report. But the density of fast food outlets and
other aspects of the food environment vary in relation to local socioeconomic conditions.
In particular, deprived areas tend to have more fast food outlets and may
lack access to healthier food alternatives. In this presentation, I will summarise
what’s known about food environments, diet and obesity, highlighting some of
our most recent evidence that unhealthy food environments may drive or amplify
inequalities in diet and obesity among working-age adults in the East of England.
I’ll conclude by reviewing policy implications and describe a web-based tool that
we are developing to assist policy makers in targeting interventions to promote
healthier food environments.