IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/envira/v43y2011i9p2217-2236.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Role of Independent Fast-Food Outlets in Obesogenic Environments: A Case Study of East London in the UK

Author

Listed:
  • Susan Bagwell

    (Cities Institute, London Metropolitan University, Ladbroke House, 62-66 Highbury Grove, London N5 2AD, England)

Abstract

In the battle to curb rising levels of obesity the focus has moved from individual interventions towards addressing factors within the ‘obesogenic environment’. Fast-food outlets are argued to be an increasingly important aspect of this environment and recent UK government policy has suggested that local authorities should use their planning powers to restrict the opening of new fast-food outlets in local neighbourhoods. This policy has a particular impact on the growing number of independent fast-food outlets which characterise deprived inner-city areas. Focusing on a case study of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets and its independent fast-food sector, this paper explores the range of local variables, and in particular the crucial mix of socioeconomic and cultural factors, which have influenced its development. The role played by fast-food outlets in providing local employment and a culturally acceptable social space for the local Muslim community, through the provision of halal food in an alcohol-free environment, is particularly highlighted. In uncovering these particular local sensitivities, the paper aims to contribute to debates regarding the nature of ‘obesogenic environments’ and demonstrate that local level research is essential for enabling better understanding for developing policy interventions.

Suggested Citation

  • Susan Bagwell, 2011. "The Role of Independent Fast-Food Outlets in Obesogenic Environments: A Case Study of East London in the UK," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 43(9), pages 2217-2236, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:envira:v:43:y:2011:i:9:p:2217-2236
    DOI: 10.1068/a44110
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1068/a44110
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1068/a44110?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Lewis, L.B. & Sloane, D.C. & Nascimento, L.M. & Diamant, A.L. & Guinyard, J.J. & Yancey, A.K. & Flynn, G., 2005. "African Americans' access to healthy food options in South Los Angeles restaurants," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 95(4), pages 668-673.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Shervin Assari & Maryam Moghani Lankarani, 2018. "Educational Attainment Promotes Fruit and Vegetable Intake for Whites but Not Blacks," J, MDPI, vol. 1(1), pages 1-13, June.
    2. Rachel Meltzer & Jenny Schuetz, 2012. "Bodegas or Bagel Shops? Neighborhood Differences in Retail and Household Services," Economic Development Quarterly, , vol. 26(1), pages 73-94, February.
    3. Senem Kozaman Som & Betul Sengezer & Ayse Nur Okten, 2011. "The Changing Structure of Mass Housing Development in Istanbul," ERSA conference papers ersa10p1399, European Regional Science Association.
    4. Gabriela O. Chiciudean & Rezhen Harun & Iulia C. Muresan & Felix H. Arion & Daniel I. Chiciudean & Garofita L. Ilies & Diana E. Dumitras, 2019. "Assessing the Importance of Health in Choosing a Restaurant: An Empirical Study from Romania," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(12), pages 1-15, June.
    5. Joshua F. Ceñido & C. Freeman & Shahrzad Bazargan-Hejazi, 2019. "Environmental Interventions for Physical and Mental Health: Challenges and Opportunities for Greater Los Angeles," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(12), pages 1-14, June.
    6. Han, Jeehee & Schwartz, Amy Ellen & Elbel, Brian, 2020. "Does proximity to fast food cause childhood obesity? Evidence from public housing," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    7. Champagne, Marie-Pier & Dubé, Jean & Barla, Philippe, 2022. "Build it and they will come: How does a new public transit station influence building construction?," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    8. Sanghyo Kim & Kyei-Im Lee & Seong-Yoon Heo & Seung-Chul Noh, 2020. "Identifying Food Deserts and People with Low Food Access, and Disparities in Dietary Habits and Health in Korea," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(21), pages 1-21, October.
    9. Alan C. Logan & Susan L. Prescott, 2017. "Astrofood, Priorities and Pandemics: Reflections of an Ultra-Processed Breakfast Program and Contemporary Dysbiotic Drift," Challenges, MDPI, vol. 8(2), pages 1-24, September.
    10. Ravensbergen, Léa & Buliung, Ron & Wilson, Kathi & Faulkner, Guy, 2016. "“Socioeconomic inequalities in children's accessibility to food retailing: Examining the roles of mobility and time”," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 153(C), pages 81-89.
    11. Do, D. Phuong & Dubowitz, Tamara & Bird, Chloe E. & Lurie, Nicole & Escarce, Jose J. & Finch, Brian K., 2007. "Neighborhood context and ethnicity differences in body mass index: A multilevel analysis using the NHANES III survey (1988-1994)," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 5(2), pages 179-203, July.
    12. Lorna K. Fraser & Kimberly L. Edwards & Janet Cade & Graham P. Clarke, 2010. "The Geography of Fast Food Outlets: A Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 7(5), pages 1-19, May.
    13. Taekyung Seong & Sugie Lee, 2024. "Spatial Disparity of Neighborhood Food Environment by Socioeconomic Status: Application of Urban Network Analysis," Land, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-13, June.
    14. J. Valiente-Neighbours, 2012. "Mobility, embodiment, and scales: Filipino immigrant perspectives on local food," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 29(4), pages 531-541, December.
    15. Chang, Virginia W., 2006. "Racial residential segregation and weight status among US adults," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 63(5), pages 1289-1303, September.
    16. Tarabashkina, Liudmila & Quester, Pascale & Crouch, Roberta, 2016. "Exploring the moderating effect of children's nutritional knowledge on the relationship between product evaluations and food choice," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 149(C), pages 145-152.
    17. Greg Rybarczyk & Dorceta Taylor & Shannon Brines & Richard Wetzel, 2019. "A Geospatial Analysis of Access to Ethnic Food Retailers in Two Michigan Cities: Investigating the Importance of Outlet Type within Active Travel Neighborhoods," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(1), pages 1-18, December.
    18. Li, Xiangyu & Dang, Anrong, 2024. "Spatial Patterns of Drone Adoption: Insights from Communities in Southern California," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 203(C).
    19. Brian A. Chu & Vijaya Surampudi & Zhaoping Li & Christina Harris & Teresa Seeman & Keith C. Norris & Tara Vijayan, 2022. "Micronutrient Deficiency as a Confounder in Ascertaining the Role of Obesity in Severe COVID-19 Infection," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-13, January.
    20. repec:ags:aaea22:335828 is not listed on IDEAS
    21. Amy Hillier, 2008. "Childhood Overweight and the Built Environment: Making Technology Part of the Solution rather than Part of the Problem," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 615(1), pages 56-82, January.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:envira:v:43:y:2011:i:9:p:2217-2236. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.