LOS ANGELES, Dec. 11 (UPI) -- Low-income teenagers are almost three times more likely to be obese than teens from more affluent households, U.S. researchers said.
Researchers at the University of California Los Angeles, Center for Health Policy Research, said in its policy brief that in California, 21 percent of teenagers living in low-income families are obese.
Federal poverty guidelines define low-income as having income of less than $19,971 for a family of four or $12,755 for a family of two. In contrast, 8 percent of teenagers living in families making more than $59,913 for a family of four or $38,265 for a family of two are obese.
California is home to about 480,000 obese adolescents from all income levels, but barriers to healthy living for low-income teens include high numbers of neighborhood fast-food restaurants and low numbers of parks and other opportunities for physical activity.
"Our neighborhoods are literally making us fat," said Susan H. Babey, one of the policy brief's authors. "We need better strategies and more thoughtful urban planning if we are going to make our towns and cities livable, not just places where we live."
The policy brief's authors urge city planners to consider zoning ordinances to regulate the number of fast-food restaurants while providing incentives to attract grocery stores and other outlets that stock fresh fruits and vegetables.
