Local food environments may not affect the diet or body mass index (BMI) of adults living in Los Angeles, according to a Pardee RAND Graduate School and Los Angeles County Public Health study.
After analyzing data from the 2011 Los Angeles County Health Survey and studying the food environments of Los Angeles County adults, researchers found little evidence for associations between the proximity of the study respondents' homes to food outlets and their dietary intake or BMI.
Survey respondents' weekly intake of fruits and vegetables, sugar-sweetened beverages, and fast food, as well as their BMI and weight were studied. Food outlet data and locations were also analyzed. Researchers found that the number of fast-food restaurants in non-walkable areas (a 3-mile radius) was positively associated with fast-food consumption, and the number of convenience stores in a walkable distance (in a 0.25-mile radius) was negatively associated with the probability of being obese. There was no association between the intake of fruits and vegetables or sugar-sweetened beverages and any type of food outlet in all of the areas analyzed. Similarly, there was no association between BMI and fast-food outlets, small food stores, midsize grocery stores, or supermarkets. The researchers point out that this study contradicts other studies does not supporting the hypothesis that the food environment within walkable distances affects BMI and diet of adults.
"The most obvious reason is that the importance of proximity has diminished in a highly motorized society, which may be more applicable to an area such as Los Angeles County than, for example, New York City," they suggest. "In addition to physical access to a certain type of food outlets, other dimensions that affect diet behavior are affordability, availability in those outlets, and cultural acceptability of the food."
The study is published in Preventing Chronic Disease.