Macro partitioning
In North America, living in low-income or minority neighborhoods is associated with constrained access to supermarkets and higher prices for healthy foods, which contributes to higher obesity rates; this contextual effect is not consistently observed in the UK, Australia, or the Netherlands.
If you live in the US or Canada, your neighborhood's lack of healthy food options and higher prices may be a significant barrier to healthy eating, contributing to weight gain. However, if you live in the UK, Australia, or similar regions, simply moving to an area with more supermarkets may not solve obesity issues, as studies show no consistent link between store proximity and diet quality there. Focus on individual dietary choices and physical activity, as environmental constraints may be less decisive in your region.
In the United States the observational evidence tends to support the idea that access to supermarkets and grocery stores is constrained for those who live in low-income or black neighbourhoods, and that consequent price and choice disincentives to healthy eating might help to explain higher rates of poor diet and of obesity. Outside the US the most recent observational studies suggest that this is not the case.
Why this rating
The paper reviews observational and quasi-experimental studies, noting that causality is difficult to determine and results are mixed outside North America.
Source
Food environments and obesity—neighbourhood or nation?
Steven Cummins et al. · International Journal of Epidemiology · 2005
DOI 10.1093/ije/dyi276
More from this paper
- The introduction of supermarkets into deprived communities has mixed effects on fruit and vegetable intake; while some studies show small improvements, robust quasi-experimental studies (e.g., in Glasgow) found little to no effect compared to control areas.Good
- Fast-food outlets are more prevalent in poorer and minority neighborhoods in North America, and this density is associated with higher obesity rates and cardiovascular outcomes, whereas this association is not consistently found in the UK or Australia.Moderate
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