Cheap Takeaway Insurance - Are Fast Food Outlets to Blame for Obesity?

One of the biggest preoccupations for fast food outlets is getting their menu right and then covering all the risks with good cheap takeaway insurance. 

Cheap takeaway insurance used to be one of the main concerns, but there is another problem looming quickly on the horizon: are fast food outlets to blame for the national rising levels of obesity? 

And obesity is one risk that is not currently covered by most takeaway insurance policies. So where is it all heading?

Central Government and City, and Town, councils are rightly worried that people are becoming too obese. And there are many acknowledged reasons for why the nation's waistlines are expanding. Lack of exercise, too much lounging in front of the television, less manual work and labour saving devices around the home mean that fat is a bigger worry than it used to be for older generations. 

And, of course, food. Not only is it more plentiful (variety is tremendous with almost every taste accounted for), but there is also a suspicion from many quarters that processed foods are the devil's work and rely too much on sugars and fats to make them appetising and popular. 

Modern, convenience food contains far too many calories say most dietary experts. And when more calories are consumed than needed by the body to live, then the problems occur. Even children are not immune, as more kids than ever are displaying evidence of obesity. 

So, processed food has a bad reputation, as does takeaway food outlets which appear to be a new target of the groups determined to trim the nation's fat. 

The problem is of course, that whilst Oldham council might try and restrict the number of fast food outlets on their doorstep, and dole out 1,000 fines for those that locate too near schools, it is a fundamental freedom in the UK to exercise self-determination. Citizens of Europe have a right to choose for themselves what they eat. 

Nor is it an obvious step to single out fast food outlets as the cause of obesity. It does not figure that users of such restaurants will become fat, because that presupposes that all food sold in such establishments is bad for you and that people must be frequenting them on an almost daily basis. 

Another council has adopted a slightly more cautious approach than Oldham. Sandwell Council has asked its residents for their opinions on takeaways, saying: 

With our busy lives these days, it is all too easy to forget about the healthier options and just grab a take-away. No one is saying don't eat take-away food. We are just trying to get the balance right between choice and availability.

Authors: Maline Morgan