December 18, 2009
Health experts
know that children are increasingly obese but they don't know why,
exactly. Is it TV, video games, computers, sugary beverages, or all of the
above?
A team of Canadian researchers has found childhood obesity is directly related to how close kids live to convenience stores. Preliminary findings of a major Canadian study presented at the Entretiens Jacques-Cartier in Lyon, France.
In 2005, some 632 Montreal children and their families were recruited for the investigation. The children came from various neighbourhoods with family incomes ranging from $31,000 to $141,000. Of the underage participants, 42 percent were overweight and 22 percent were outright obese.
"Access to convenience stores seems more relevant in obesity than access to fast-food restaurants," said senior researcher Tracie Ann Barnett, a professor at the Universit de Montral Department of Social and Preventive Medicine and researcher at the Sainte Justine University Hospital Research Center.
The research team found that access to green spaces may have little influence on the size of 8 to 10-year-olds. While proximity of parks can affect how much children walk, any impact on weight remains to be seen.
Families who took part in the study will continue to be monitored to verify if proximity to the park has an impact on the long-term weight of children. Barmett suggests that schools should establish zones that are free of convenience stores and work harder to compete against fast food chains.
