U Leicester Study: Fast-Food Near Deprived Neighborhoods Drive Obesity and Diabetes

Fast-Food Near Deprived Neighborhoods Drive Obesity and Diabetes

According to a recent study from the University of Leicester involving more than 10,000 participants, an individual’s proximity to fast-food outlets may directly determine one’s risk for becoming obese and eventually developing type 2 diabetes. The findings are currently available in the journal Public Health Nutrition, and may prove critical to preventive interventions for diabetes.

The study noted the accessibility of fast food outlets to inner-city neighborhoods that were considered socially deprived areas, home to mostly non-whites, and found a significantly higher number of outlets within 500 meters of these areas. The authors said, “Our study suggests that for every additional two outlets per neighborhood, we would expect one additional diabetes case, assuming a causal relationship between the fast-food outlet and diabetes.”