Macro partitioning
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.
Moving to a neighborhood with a supermarket or expecting a new store to open near you is unlikely to significantly change your diet or help you lose weight. Studies show that simply adding stores does not reliably increase fruit and vegetable intake. Focus on your actual purchasing habits, budget, and food choices rather than relying on the presence of a specific store type.
In comparison, a controlled before and after study in Glasgow (Scotland) found little evidence for any effect on fruit and vegetable consumption overall or for a ‘switchers’ subgroup... suggesting that what was being observed was a product of general secular (or other) change rather than a direct effect of the intervention itself.
Why this rating
The paper highlights a 'controlled before and after study' with a 'quasi-experimental design' as having the most robust design, finding no convincing evidence.
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
- 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.Moderate
- 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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