Fast-food density and neighborhood walkability affect residents' weight and waist sizeMarch 04, 2009In a research article published recently by the American Journal of Epidemiology, Oregon Research Institute (ORI) scientist Fuzhong Li, Ph.D., and colleagues show that a high-density of fast food outlets was associated with an increase of 3 pounds in weight and .8 inches in waist circumference among neighborhood residents who frequently ate at those restaurants. In contrast, high-walkability neighborhoods were associated with a decrease of 2.7 pounds in weight and 0.6 inches in waist size among residents who increased their levels of vigorous physical activity during a one-year period. "This is one of the few longitudinal studies that focus on change in individuals' body weight over time in relation to their lifestyle behaviors and immediate living environments," noted Dr. Li. "The uniqueness of this study lies in its environment-person approach which we use to show that health-impeding environments, such as a high density of fast-food outlets, together with residents' behavior, such as eating fast food regularly, can have an unhealthy impact on body weight. On the other hand, health-promoting environments, such as walkable neighborhood streets, in conjunction with physically active residents, can have a positive impact on body weight over time." said Dr. Li. The study is part of the Portland Oregon Neighborhood Environment and Health Study where researchers are following a sample of over 1200 local residents ages 50-75 years old over a three-year period using anthropometric and survey measures, such as body weight, height, eating habits, food intake, physical activity, and perceptions of their immediate neighborhood environment. Researchers have also taken objective measures of built environment characteristics, such as land-use mix, density of fast-food outlets, street connectivity, & public transit stations, and the presence of green & open spaces in 120 randomly selected neighborhoods in Portland, Oregon. The overall objective of the research project is to examine change in body weight and physical activity in relation to built environment. "To combat the obesity/overweight problem, it appears clear that, from the perspectives of public health and urban design, efforts are needed to improve features of modifiable built environments by making them more conducive to healthy eating and increasing physical activity," noted Li. Oregon Research Institute |
|||||||||||||||||||||
| Related Body Weight Current Events and Body Weight News Articles Diabetes surgery summit consensus lays foundation for new field of medicine A first-of-its-kind consensus statement on diabetes surgery is published online today in the Annals of Surgery. Playing sport up to the end of pregnancy is healthy for the baby and the mother Contrary to more conservative customs, exercising up to the end of pregnancy has no harmful effect on the weight or size of the foetus. Mood improves on low-fat, but not low-carb, diet plan After one year, a low-calorie, low-fat diet appears more beneficial to dieters' mood than a low-carbohydrate plan with the same number of calories. Energy gap useful tool for successful weight loss maintenance strategy Americans continue to get heavier. Most weight control methods short of bariatric surgery are generally considered ineffective in preventing obesity or reducing weight. Health-centered weight control method shows promise Most weight-control strategies emphasize energy-restricted diets and increased physical activity - and most are not effective over the long term. MSU researcher: Obesity significantly cuts odds of successful pregnancy Obese women are as much as 28 percent less likely to become pregnant and have a successful pregnancy, according to research that earned a Michigan State University professor a national award. Caltech researchers show efficacy of gene therapy in mouse models of Huntington's disease Researchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have shown that a highly specific intrabody (an antibody fragment that works against a target inside a cell) is capable of stalling the development of Huntington's disease in a variety of mouse models. New tool promises more accurate antimalarial drug dosing Scientists at LSTM have developed a tool to support the development of appropriate age-based dosing regimens for malaria drugs. Pitt study shows linkage between teen girls' weight and sexual behavior A University of Pittsburgh study sheds new light on the relationship between race, body weight and sexual behavior among adolescent girls. American Cancer Society calls for new strategies to monitor exposure to environmental carcinogens A new report from an American Cancer Society (ACS) scientific advisory subcommittee on cancer and the environment says exposure to carcinogens should be minimized or eliminated whenever feasible, and calls for new strategies to more effectively and efficiently screen the large number of chemicals to which the public is exposed. More Body Weight Current Events and Body Weight News Articles |
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||