Adherence
High neighborhood fast-food outlet exposure is independently associated with higher BMI, body fat, and obesity odds, with a dose-response relationship observed across quartiles of exposure.
If you live in an area with many fast-food outlets, your risk of obesity is higher, even if you have a good income. This is likely because easy access makes unhealthy food the default choice. To counter this, be aware of your environment and plan your meals in advance to avoid relying on nearby fast-food options.
Greater BMI, percentage body fat, odds of obesity, and frequent processed meat consumption, were each positively associated with a higher proportion of fast-food outlets in neighbourhoods... those with the highest proportion of fast-food outlets remained on average 0.99 kg/m2 heavier... and had 1.37% higher... body fat... in our most adjusted models, and with a dose-response association at least across the first three quartiles.
Why this rating
Large sample size (n=51,361), rigorous adjustment for confounders, but cross-sectional design limits causal inference.
Source
Examining the interaction of fast-food outlet exposure and income on diet and obesity: evidence from 51,361 UK Biobank participants
Thomas Burgoine et al. · International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity · 2018
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