Despite being a venue for fitness training, leisure centres are selling unhealthy foods through vending machines and junk food meal deals, according to a report.

The document, prepared by the Food Commission for the British Heart Foundation (BHF), found that fresh fruit was displayed at less than half of the venues visited and vending machines were stocked with unhealthy products.

Charlene Shoneye, Weight Concern dietician, said: "The venues should certainly be encouraged to offer a wider range of products based around healthy choices.

"Eating a healthy well-balanced diet is important for the prevention of disease and for developing a healthy growing child," she added.
Each vending machine found at the leisure centres visited by BHF stocked products loaded with fats, salts and sugars.

Furthermore, nutritional information was displayed at just two of the venues visited, severely limiting buyer's ability to assess the nutritional values of the products they are buying.
The news follows other research from the BHF which emphasised the importance of exercise in preventing heart disease.