Mixed
The availability of healthy food items (fruits, vegetables, overall quality) within consumer food stores is not consistently associated with lower BMI or improved dietary patterns, and proximity to healthy stores does not necessarily lead to better health outcomes.
Don't assume that stocking healthy food in a store will automatically improve community health. Research shows that simply having healthy options available does not necessarily lead to lower BMI or better diets. To make a difference, interventions must also address price, marketing, and purchasing habits, not just availability.
Overall, findings suggest that those who shop at locations with generally healthier food options, do not report lower BMI or higher intake of fruits and vegetables [41, 45, 37, 81].
Why this rating
The paper is a systematic review of observational studies, which are prone to confounding, but the consistency of null findings across multiple settings strengthens the conclusion.
Source
Measures of the Consumer Food Store Environment: A Systematic Review of the Evidence 2000–2011
Alison Gustafson et al. · Journal of Community Health · 2011
DOI 10.1007/s10900-011-9524-x
More from this paper
- Stores in low-income or high-minority neighborhoods often have less availability of healthy food and higher prices for healthy items compared to stores in higher-income neighborhoods, although these findings are inconsistent across studies.Moderate
- Lower prices of fruits and vegetables are associated with lower gains in BMI, and higher availability of fruits and vegetables is inversely related to self-reported BMI.Moderate
Related findings · Mixed
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- For patients with Class III obesity (BMI >39.9 kg/m2), metabolic bariatric surgery (MBS) is significantly more effective than any currently approved medication, with BilioPancreatic Diversion (BPD) showing the highest estimated weight loss.Strong
This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →