Small cities = more stores = more obesity

MANHATTAN, Kan., March 12 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers say low-income women in small cities have a higher chance of obesity.

Researchers at Kansas State University in Manhattan link higher risk of obesity in cities with fewer than 40,000 people to the availability of food stores -- rather than the lack of them.

Women who resided in these cities had an 18 percent increase in obesity risk when living within a 1-mile radius of a supermarket. The presence of small grocery and convenience stores also was associated with an increased risk of obesity.

Rural low-income women had 74 percent fewer supermarkets and 55 percent fewer small grocery stores available, but the number of convenience stores per 10,000 residents was highest in rural areas.

The researchers say their study, published in Obesity, suggests policies that increase the accessibility of healthful foods at small grocery stores might be a promising strategy for reducing the higher prevalence of obesity in rural areas.

"This study was one of the first to look at supermarket availability across the urban-rural continuum, and the findings suggest that policies to increase healthful food availability may need to differ depending on urban influence," study co-author David Dzewaltowski said in a statement.