TV shows like the phenomenally successful The Great British Bake Off are fuelling a culture of junk food ubiquity, resulting in soaring levels of obesity, according to the CEO of Les Mills UK Keith Burnet.

In response to a recent Cambridge University study which found that eating healthily costs three times as much as consuming unhealthy food in the UK, Burnet said shows like Bake Off are leading consumers towards unhealthy lifestyles.

“I would agree that we can’t blame the individuals for not being educated in cooking and preparing healthy meals and food ideas,” he told Health Club Management.

“Simply switch on the TV and you’ll be greeted with hours of cookery programmes featuring calorific and unhealthy foods, cooked in a way that will see the pounds pile on; the Great British Bake Off is a case in point.”

Almost 10 million viewers tuned in to watch the baking show’s fifth series finale last week, with the programme credited as sparking a renaissance in cake making.

Burnet added that “we don’t need to just point the finger” at presenters Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry. He called on the government to review the practices of the food companies and supermarkets to ensure that a healthy diet is affordable for every household.

“The pricing structure of non-processed foods, fresh fruit and vegetables needs to be reduced whilst the price of the unhealthy and processed foods should increase,” Burnet added. “It really is that simple. And maybe Paul Hollywood should swap the rolling pins for a barbell from time-to-time.”

The physical activity sector is aiming to improve the nation’s health through its ukactive-led mission to ‘turn the tide of inactivity’. Industry leaders are promoting healthy lifestyles through regular exercise and a sensible diet, with operators such as Les Mills playing a prominent role in the recent National Fitness Day, which aimed to get the public moving through a series of mass exercise classes held across UK cities.