Fitness influencer Will Tennyson, 30, from California, travelled to Ebbw Vale in southeast Wales, a town dubbed the 'fattest in the world', where 80% of residents are overweight or obese. He spent 24 hours eating like the locals to understand the obesity crisis.
Upon arrival, Tennyson noticed the smell of different foods wafting in the streets and counted at least 15 kebab houses. He said 73% of restaurants in Ebbw Vale are fast food outlets, the highest proportion in the UK. The town has a population of close to 20,000.
His first stop was Greggs bakery, where he ordered a sausage roll, caramel custard donut and lemon meringue muffin, totalling over 1,000 calories. Next, he visited Frenchie's cafe for a 'Big Daddy' breakfast, which included four sausages, three hash browns, four bacon rashers, several fried eggs, baked beans, two helpings of black pudding, and a tray of toast with 'a diabolical amount of butter'. He estimated the meal exceeded 2,000 calories.
By mid-morning, Tennyson had consumed over 3,000 calories, exceeding the recommended daily intake of 2,000 for women and 2,500 for men. He then walked around town to work off the calories and spoke to locals. Many cited high unemployment and financial struggles, making fast food a cheap convenience.
At the local McDonald's, a worker said some customers visit up to four times a day. One man admitted he ate McDonald's five times a week when he weighed 266lbs but has since cut back. A local woman commented: 'Obesity is normalized, everybody's obese. It's a lack of education and social normality.'
