Kids Living Close to Fast Food Restaurants More Likely to be Overweight: Study

Childhood obesity is one of the biggest global health concerns. According to the World Health Organisation, "Overweight and obese children are likely to stay obese into adulthood and more likely to develop noncommunicable diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular diseases at a younger age." While our changing eating habits have been blamed for the increase in incidence of children being obese or overweight, a new study conducted by researchers from the University of the West of England (UWE Bristol) suggests proximity to fast food restaurants may also increase the risk.

The new study points out that children who live close to fast food restaurants are more likely to gain weight. Through their study, they have discovered a link between accessibility to fast food outlets and weight gain over time. For the study, the team tracked the weight of more than 1,500 state primary school pupils between the age of four and 11.

The findings revealed that children who lived closer to fast food outlets were more likely to gain a significant amount of weight between the first and last year of primary school. The study will be published in the Journal of Public Health. To reach these results, the team calculated a “fast food accessibility score” for each and every child that participated in the study by taking into consideration the number of fast food outlets that were located within about half a mile of their homes. 

The researchers conclude that the study focuses on the the role that the local food environment plays and how it can affect the diet of young children.