Car ownership -- the new fad diet?
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A recent study using information on 2,156 adults from the Los Angeles Family and Neighborhood Study database found a correlation between weight gain, neighborhoods with a high density of fast food restaurants and car ownership. It seems that if you are without wheels and live in one of these neighborhoods, you could weigh an average of 12 pounds more than a car owner in that same neighborhood.
The authors of the study wrote:
‘While all residents appear to be affected by the concentration of restaurants, the magnitude of the effect of fast food outlets is much smaller for residents able to travel by car than for individuals without cars. Car ownership may reduce the local effect of fast food outlets in the neighborhood, while lack of car access appears to exacerbate it. Those who do not own cars may be more likely to visit fast food outlets than most costly full-service restaurants in their neighborhood.’
Does this mean that buying a car is the next weight loss craze? Anything to stimulate the economy, right?
Read the entire article in our Health blog, Booster Shots: Cars and neighborhoods factor into weight gain