Macro partitioning
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.
If you live in an area with many fast-food outlets, you are likely exposed to higher energy-dense foods, which contributes to obesity. This is particularly true in North America. Be aware of your surroundings and try to limit consumption of these high-calorie, low-nutrient foods, even if they are convenient and affordable.
Associations have been found between area deprivation and density of fast-food outlets in Melbourne, Australia... and in New Orleans... Ecological correlations between obesity rates and the prevalence of fast-food outlets have been found for US states... In England and Scotland, McDonald’s restaurants tend to be located in more deprived areas.
Why this rating
The paper notes 'conflicting findings' and that studies are 'primarily ecological in design', making consensus difficult.
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
- 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
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- Trans fats should be completely eliminated from the diet, as they increase LDL cholesterol, decrease HDL cholesterol, and are directly associated with increased coronary risk.Strong
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