Tennyson was shocked by how many people there were at McDonald's. (Image: YouTube/Will Tennyson)
Especially when he stepped into McDonald's, the town known as “the most obese in the UK” left a shocked Canadian influencer. Located in the Valley of South Wales, Ebbw Vale is labelled as the UK's top spot for obesity troubles, due to a disproportionate number of takeouts. 73% of the restaurants there serve fast food.
The YouTube star and Toronto native Will Tennyson set out on a journey across the pond to explore the heart of the health crisis that tormented once-prosperous steel communities.
The harsh reality behind the harsh health data has made him quite anxious. Upon arriving at his hotel, the Sombre revelation from the receptionist was: “We are known as the thickest town in the UK. It's not awful to be honest with you. There's not much other than kebab shops and steamer shops.”
To add humiliation to the injury, his hotel room welcomed him with the weapons of a fast food leaflet, an option he would think “absolutely crazy.” The next day, Will took him to the city of Ebbw Vale, and soon the aromatic seduction of food hit him. His observations repeated local warnings. “They didn't joke about the kebab house. They're actually everywhere. They probably passed 15 here.”
He praised the locals for their warmth (Image: YouTube/Will Tennyson)
At the French Cafe, we took on the “Big Daddy” challenge. A huge feast consisting of four sausages, two black puddings, beans, bacon, three hash browns, four eggs, tomatoes and six powerful slices of bread.
Commenting on the compatible nature of Ebubo Vert residents, Will asked cafe workers about the challenge of maintaining health in the area, replied, “Wages aren't very good. All prices have gone up.”
He noticed the obvious kindness in town.
With a positive outlook, he expressed his love for the locale in “Great Place,” a brief four-word review.
But conversations with locals soon came to light, despite the impressive nine stone weight loss over the course of a year, “Obesity has been normalized and everyone here is obese. It's the lack of the environment you live in, and obese.”
The young man struggled to find employment due to lack of experience, and ended up abandoning gym memberships and opting for more affordable meal options.
He's not breakfast and will soon forget anytime soon (Image: YouTube/Will Tennyson)
Focusing on the high unemployment rate in the area, he concluded his report by addressing the camera, saying, “Many people here don't have jobs. They live out of state. Cheap food is absolutely important to survive.”
With this in mind, Will decided to visit a fresh n fruity green grocery store. He picked up a packet of six duck eggs, priced at £3.50, pointing out that nearby Gregs is offering breakfast rolls and hot drinks for just £2.95.
Looking back at his findings, he admitted that “convenience is difficult to discuss,” and noted that Butternut Squash is more expensive than the entire pizza, which was promoted for just £1.50 in a nearby shop window.
In the shop, Heron Foods tells Will that the fruit and vegetable aisles are not the most frequent and that maintaining a healthy diet is “really expensive.” This has led to some rather flattering headlines in recent years. This includes households ordering three takeaways a day, as well as reports of McDonald's queues blocking their driveways.
This prompted Will to check out his local Mackey. It is reportedly possible that customers can wait up to 30 minutes there. When he entered he replied, “The place is absolutely packed. I'm walking through town and 'Where are everyone?' They're all here.
Later that day, you'll jump into a pizza shop offering purchases that get one free deal on Thursday. As he enjoyed his fast food, he noticed a shop across the street selling incredibly cheap alcohol.
He had sympathy for the locals (Image: YouTube/Will Tennyson)
He states: “You're set to fail wherever you go literally here. Think about the recovery alcoholism in the brewery. What does it look like?
After losing a considerable amount of weight in his youth, Will expressed doubt about the feasibility of achieving such transformations with Ebball. He continued: “It's really scary to think about it, and I really feel bad for the people here. It's everything they know, you just know what you know, they're raised in the same habits as their parents, and that's a generational trickle-down effect.”
Despite recognizing the financial barriers that prevent local people from offering gym memberships, he noted during his stay that he did not find solo cycling or jogging in the area.
Nevertheless, Will's top feelings were one of empathy, and when putting together his video blog, he reflected on it: “24 hours were eye-opening in the most obese town in the UK.
“They have limited options to lead a healthy lifestyle and it's very tough to challenge the status quo. When the financial struggles work, it's not about health anymore, it's purely about survival and food on the table.”
You can do so here to see Will visiting Ebbw Vale for a full visit
