University of California health researchers have found a statistical connection between the proximity of fast food restaurants to obesity among California's ninth-graders and pregnant women -- but have not established a causal relationship.
Results of the detailed study by UC-Berkeley economists were released today, adding fuel to a burgeoning debate over whether the proliferation of fast-food outlets contributes to the nation's obesity problem.
"These findings add new evidence to the debate on the impact of fast-food on obesity," the research report concludes. "First, we believe we have uncovered credible evidence that the availability of fast food has an effect on the obesity rate of teens and on weight gain in pregnant women. Second, we show that the effects of proximity are quite different for students (who are constrained to stay close to schools during the school day) than for mothers, who presumably are more mobile."
The study found that ninth-graders were 5.2 percent more likely to be obese if their schools were within a tenth of a mile of a fast-food restaurant, but the statistical correlation faded at longer distances. A similar correlation was found for pregnant women living near fast-food outlets. The statistical connections, however, were markedly higher for Latinos and African Americans than for whites, and the researchers added that the study "leaves several questions unanswered."
"The overall quantitative contribution of the expansion of the fast-food industry to the increase in obesity rate remains unclear," was the report's bottom line. "Relatively few schools are located within .1 mile of a fast food restaurant, so the impact identified by our paper applies to a relatively small population. And, while large numbers of pregnant women live within half a mile of a fast food restaurant, the majority does not.
"We cannot speculate about the generalizability of our research to other samples. It is possible that adolescents and pregnant women are uniquely vulnerable to the temptations of fast food. In addition, our research cannot distinguish between a rational price-based explanation of the findings and a behavioral self-control-based explanation. Finally, since fast food is ubiquitous in America, we cannot study the impact of fast-food entry in a society where fast food is scarce."
The full report is available here.
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