Is Student Obesity Related to the Proximity of Fast Food?
28Apr2009 Filed under: Food Buzz Author: Tasha
Studies have been proven that students whose proximity’s are a block away from a fast-food restaurant are more likely to be obese than those that are a quarter of a mile away, according to the economists at the University of California and Columbia University.
This study was conducted on ninth graders in the same school in the years before and after a new fast food outlet opened nearby.
The New York Times, states that “obesity rates were 5 percent higher among ninth graders whose schools were within one-tenth of a mile of a pizza, burger or other popular fast-food outlet, compared with students attending schools farther away from fast-food stores.”
Some reasons for this conclusion was due to students not wanting to wander far from school during their lunch hours, or maybe them not having enough time to get something farther away. Temptation can also play a factor in the students choosing a fast-food restaurant then a healthier option that is farther away.
Obesity is found in nearly two-thirds of the United States population and is only increasing. There are a number of ways to determine if one is overweight, measuring your BMI (body’s mass index) is the most accurate measurement of body fat.
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