You may believe folks living within a reasonable walking distance -- say a half-mile -- from grocery stores, fast-food restaurants and convenience stores would suffer more obesity-related problems, like cancer, than the average bear. Surprisingly, you'd be dead wrong about that!

After University of Utah researchers learned in previous research that patients were less prone to being obese or overweight when living in more densely-populated and pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods, their latest study compared the BMIs of some 450,000 Salt Lake County residents with food-related businesses in their localities.

Folks who lived in areas with a variety of food options nearby were 10 percent less likely to be obese compared to those with no options in their neighborhoods. And, in low-income areas, people with easy walking access to one or more healthy food options lowered their risks of obesity by a whopping 26 percent, as compared to low-income residents with no access to neighborhood food establishments.

The most surprising fact of all: A variety of neighborhood food venues was necessary for curbing obesity in non-low-income areas. The proximity of full-service restaurants to patients was linked to lower obesity rates, not grocery stores.

Social Science & Medicine, Vol. 69, No. 10, pp. 1493-1500, November 2009

EurekAlert October 27, 2009