Consider this stating the obvious: Living near fast food restaurants makes you more likely to eat unhealthy food. But that’s just what researchers uncovered in a new study published in the British Medical Journal–a study winch shows that it too could also make people obese.
Now researchers say this study shows that gaining weight isn’t simply the result of bad habits–living in certain environments may now also be to blame.
“Neighbourhood food environments (“foodscapes”) have been labelled “obesogenic” when they facilitate the overconsumption of energy dense, nutrient poor foods, and increased levels of overweight and obesity,” write researchers of the study. “Understanding the influence of such foodscapes on diet and health has become more urgent with recent changes in society.”
What Researchers Found
Examining a total of 5,442 who took part in the Fenland Study, a population-based cohort study, researchers wanted to find out the following–how environmental factors, such as living near fast food restaurants, affected their weight. To do so, they were asked to fill out food frequency questionnaires to help them determine how many times they ate at fast food restaurants. Their activity levels were also tracked by having them wear heart rate sensors.
After looking at the data, they were tasked at figuring out how much fast food comprised their daily diet–and how that compared with their body mass index, a measurement commonly used to determine a person’s obesity. As it turns out, living in neighborhoods containing the highest amounts of fast food establishments caused people to consume 5.7 grams more fast food per day.
Now here’s the bad news: Despite how small this sounds, this can cause a significant increase in calories per day. According to their research, those who lived in these areas were 50 percent more likely to be obese.
“The group of people most exposed to takeaway food outlets at home were more than twice as likely to be obese than be of normal weight, relative to those least exposed,” say researchers. ” We found evidence of an environmental contribution to the consumption of takeaway food and body mass index in all exposure domains studied.”
In conclusion, researchers propose that limiting fast food establishments from being in close proximity to workplaces and homes may help prevent people from becoming obese–though it won’t always work.
What You Should Do
While nationwide policies to limit fast food establishments aren’t likely to happen soon, you can take control of your diet and avoid becoming obese by watching your own intake. Opting for fast food is often the result of not having food prepared at home, so to keep slim, always prepare your food in advance.
If you really can’t avoid eating fast food, however, remember there are always healthy options as well–such as Subway sandwiches and salads.
Readers: How do you avoid eating at fast food restaurants?
Sources:
Study: Living Near High Amount of Fast Food Restaurants Increases Obesity – BMJ.com
Why Living Near Fast Food Restaurants Increases Your BMI According to New Study – MedicalNewsToday.com
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