California's Food Landscape Encourages Obesity

When Californians step out their door, they are four times more likely to find a fast food joint than a grocery or produce store, according to a study released Jan. 19 by the California Center for Public Health Advocacy.

"Ready access to healthy foods like fruits and vegetables is critical to Californians struggling to address the state's out of control obesity crisis," said Dr. Harold Goldstein, CCPHA's executive director. "Sadly, fast-food outlets and convenience stores far outnumber healthier food outlets in major cities and counties throughout California, making the hunt for nutritious options a daunting challenge."

The study, "Searching for Healthy Food: The Food Landscape in California Cities and Counties," finds growing evidence that the likelihood of people being obese is influenced by the "food environment" in which they live.

For the study, CCPHA, a nonprofit, non-partisan organization, gathered an inventory of supermarkets, produce vendors, convenience stores and fast-food restaurants in cities and counties in California with populations more than 250,000.

By contrasting the number of outlets likely to offer healthier food options like fruits and vegetables with the number of fast food and convenience stores, the study creates a local Retail Food Environment Index (RFEI). The higher the RFEI index, the less likely consumers will find healthy food options.

California has 14,823 fast food restaurants and 6,659 convenience stores, but only has 3,853 supermarkets and 1,292 produce stands, giving it an RFEI of 4.18, according to the study.

"There is growing evidence that a community's food landscape has a potent influence on the health of its residents," observes Goldstein.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than half of all California adults are either obese or overweight, both health conditions associated with increased risk of morbidity and mortality from such chronic problems as cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

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