Public Health England has produced takeaway map to tackle obesity- with Weymouth and Portland coming fifth

Weymouth and Portland has 100 outlets per 100,000 people, and is the fifth worst place for the number of fast food outlets in the country, coming just behind Torbay, Bristol, Bournemouth and Gloucester.

West and North Dorset came comparatively lower, with an average of only 58 outlets per 100,000 people, according to a major new study by Public Health England.

Public Health England published the country's first “takeaway map” to demonstrate how the local environment makes it harder for children to avoid falling victim to the obesity epidemic.

The research also found that only 15 per cent of 15 year olds in Dorset exercise for at least one hour a day seven days a week.

This figure is made more concerning by the fact that it is one of the better from across the country; the highest percentage nationwide is only 18.8 per cent.

There is an ongoing obesity crisis in Britain, with recent research suggesting that Britain will be the fattest country in Europe by 2025.

According to the study almost four in ten people will be dangerously obese in just nine years.

Some have even come to refer to Britain as “The fat man of Europe”.

Professor Debra Lapthorne, centre director for Public Health England South West said: “In the South West we have a number of coastal towns and cities that benefit from the tourism trade each year, but foods such as fish and chips, which are high in salt, fat and sugar, should only be eaten in moderation and as part of a healthy diet.

“Over a fifth of adults and children eat takeaway meals at home more than once a week, and just over a third of children in the South West are overweight or obese by the time they leave primary school.”

Campaigns such as Change4Life are encouraging people to take on healthier lifestyles, and PHE published the Eatwell guide, which recommends five portions of fruit or vegetables a day along with including more oily fish and fibre in your diet.