Pharmacy leaders hit out at England's public health minister this week after she claimed the country's most obese people were usually the poorest.

Anna Soubry was "misguided" to associate bad food with deprived areas and the government should tackle the food industry if it is serious about improving the nation's health, said Numark head of information services Gary Choo.

Mr Choo's comments came after the Conservative MP for Broxtowe, Nottinghamshire, told the Daily Telegraph that in her constituency it was possible to tell somebody's background by their weight.

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	"Obviously not everybody who is overweight comes from deprived backgrounds, but that's where the propensity lies," Ms Soubry told the newspaper last Tuesday. "It is a heartbreaking fact that people who are some of the most deprived in our society are living on an inadequate diet. But this time it's an abundance of bad food," she added.

But although deprived areas should be supported, deprivation was "merely one aspect to consider when exploring the cause of an unhealthy diet," Mr Choo told C+D.

"It is extremely unhelpful to think poor people eat bad food," he said. "Educating children on healthy lifestyles without also tackling the food industry's tactics and practices will not improve the nation's health."

Lloydspharmacy chief Andy Murdock agreed that, while deprived areas had different needs to more affluent ones, "neither politicians nor healthcare professionals should jump to conclusions." 

"I believe every area deserves to have easy access to effective health and population health advice and pharmacy fits that bill," Celesio UK external relations and policy director Mr Murdock said. "The healthy living pharmacy concept may be an important mechanic in helping achieve this."

A report published in February last year by the health and social care information centre claimed that the prevalence of obesity rose with increasing levels of deprivation for both men and women, with 25 per cent of men and 30 per cent of women in deprived areas classed as obese.

Ms Soubry's comments came after she spoke at a London event last Tuesday (January 22), hosted by the Food and Drink Federation, which represents and advises the UK's food and drink manufacturers. She warned food manufacturers they should cut the amount of fat, sugar and salt in their products voluntarily or ministers may force them to through legislation.

C+D reported earlier this month that pharmacy leaders had rejected proposals by Westminster City Council to withdraw benefits from obese patients who refuse to take up exercise, saying it was not the answer to tackling the problem.