Neighborhood Food Sources Affect BMI

(July 5, 2010) - It would appear that what kind of stores and restaurants are in your neighborhood may affect your weight. A new study took a look at neighborhoods to see how they affected women's body mass index. (Read about "BMI") The study found that women with homes closer to a supermarket, relative to a convenience store, had lower BMIs, and that the greater the number of restaurants within a five minute walk of a woman's home, the higher her BMI.

"In particular, three findings are significant," says lead investigator Samina Raja, PhD.

"First, a greater number of restaurants within a five-minute walk of a subject's house was associated with a greater BMI, holding other factors constant," she says.

"Second," she says, "on average, women who live within relative proximity to supermarkets and grocery stores (as opposed to convenience stores) tend to have lower BMIs.

"Third, and perhaps most important," Raja says, "the interaction of the food environment and the built environment in a neighborhood carries significant consequences for obesity. (Read about "Obesity") For example, a diverse land-use mix, while beneficial for promoting physical activity, is tied to a net increase in BMI when that land is dominated by restaurants."