The UK lawmakers are urging the National Health Service (NHS) to ban fast-food outlets from hospitals in an effort to curb obesity in British citizens.
In a report titled 'The Impact of Physical Activity and Diet on Health,' the Health Committee suggested that the NHS should ban fast-food outlets such as McDonald's and Burger King, in places that promote good health, as reported by the Guardian.
The report quoted Cambridge University public health expert Theresa Marteau's view: "It is at best anomalous and at worst negligent that NHS properties continue to serve foods high in sugar, fat and salt, as exemplified by McDonald's and Burger King outlets in some of our most prestigious hospitals, including Guy's hospital in London and Addenbrooke's hospital in Cambridge."
Supporting the MPs' call, NHS England chief executive Simon Stevens said: "The NHS is being pennywise but pound-foolish selling junk food that ultimately just lands more people in hospital with expensive, preventable, obesity-driven illnesses.
"So as these fast-food concessions come up for renewal, hospitals should demand healthier, tastier, affordable alternatives."
Apart from NHS, the MPs also urged the local councils to restrict the fast-food joints in certain areas, a crackdown on cheap sale of unhealthy foods, such as through two-for-one offers.
The report also called on NHS to increase investment in treatment of obese patients through weight-management schemes such as Weight Watchers.
The report said: "The committee regards it as inexplicable and unacceptable that the NHS is now spending more on bariatric surgery for obesity than on a national roll-out of intensive lifestyle intervention programmes that were first shown to cut obesity and prevent diabetes over a decade ago.
"It is vital that the importance of physical activity for all the population - regardless of their weight, age, gender, health, or other factors - is clearly articulated and understood."
The report also urges general practitioners to take urgent action to communicate the benefits of exercise to the public, while seeking launch of a 'co-ordinated government-wide programme to tackle poor diet and physical inactivity.'
