But the food available at these businesses, part of the out-of-home food sector (OOH) which includes any prepared food or drink purchased for immediate consumption, is more likely to be higher in calories, fat, salt and sugar than food we make at home.

Estimated to be a £14.6bn industry in the UK, takeaway food is big business. But, with a quarter of the calories consumed coming from food eaten in the OOH sector, it contributes significantly to our obesity crisis. What's more, research has found OOH outlets with the unhealthiest menus are more likely to be found in deprived areas and those same areas have a higher concentration of OOH food outlets.

To improve our health, we need to make it easier to enjoy healthier food from OOH outlets. Calorie labelling legislation in force in England, practised across the UK, obliges large chain outlets to display the calorie content of their food. But there is currently a data gap around the calorie content of menu items sold by independent businesses.

That’s why we are carrying out an analysis of the calorie content of some of the UK’s favourite takeaway foods from small, independent businesses in six locations across England, Scotland and Wales.

Why we are doing this

As much as 63% of the UK adult population is living with excess weight or obesity, a figure that has grown dramatically over the last 30 years. At Nesta, we believe everyone deserves to live a long and healthy life, no matter where they live or their life circumstances. But living with obesity cuts lives short by increasing the risk of disease and other health problems.

The calorie content of takeaway food is often higher than that of food prepared at home, meaning OOH food is contributing to our obesity crisis. However, with little data available, we can't currently assess the impact of takeaway food sold by independent businesses on overall calorie consumption and how that impacts levels of obesity in the UK.

What we are doing

The project will carry out nutritional analysis sampling in a food testing laboratory to determine the calorie content of a UK representative sample of independent OOH menu items covering the 10 most commonly purchased meals.

Gathering samples from Edinburgh, Glasgow, Cardiff, Swansea, Birmingham and London, our research will look at popular pizzas and burgers as well as favourites from chip shops and Indian and Chinese takeaways.