By Community Correspondent Enya Jha. One thing you can be sure of - you will always find places to eat in Croydon, and, unfortunately, every direction we seem to look there is a fast food chain restaurant in sight.

With these restaurants being a cheaper alternative to ‘healthy’ food, they are forever attracting more and more youngsters, who would much rather prefer a cheeseburger and fries, instead of a piece of fruit.

These unhealthy food stores are becoming highly obvious in the Croydon area, especially situating themselves around schools and colleges, where they know their business will succeed, due to the high interest of local pupils.

Croydon town centre itself holds two McDonalds, one Burger King, one Pizza Hut and one KFC – not mentioning the numerous independent kebab and burger shops. Furthermore, there are many more of these chains within walking distance, located in East, South and West Croydon.

Surrounding areas, as well as Croydon, are being infected by the dangerous rise of junk food joints, including Purley, Coulsdon and Caterham. A new KFC restaurant has recently opened in Caterham Valley, immediately next to a Pizza Hut. This is a prime example of how even Caterham – which was once a relatively rural area – is being influenced by bad urban habits.

The consequences of this dangerous rise has been seen in the health of the Croydon locals, as recent studies show that 12,000 children and 63,000 adults are estimated to be obese in Croydon alone.

“Personally, I like having a large option of places to eat, and I would be disappointed if these fast food chains weren’t around. However, I understand that they can only be eaten in moderation, otherwise it can lead to unhealthy consequences,” says Osheen Srinivas, a 17 year old student from Croydon. “Because they are so readily available, lots of school kids do give into temptation on their way home from school. Obviously if this becomes a regular habit it will have an effect on their long term health”.

Of course, these chains cannot be the only factor to blame when considering the health of Croydon residents. Activity and exercise are also important. Nevertheless, the increasing rise in these junk food restaurants means that we are constantly surrounded by temptation, which is resulting in the deteriorating health of many.