More Fast Food Options Make Residents Fatter

The higher the concentration of fast food restaurants in a city, the fatter its residents, according to a recent study from the University of Alberta.

1 minute read

December 20, 2007, 10:00 AM PST

By Nate Berg


"If you live in a city with more places to buy double-doubles, Big Macs and Mama Burgers, you're more likely to get really fat, new research from the University of Alberta confirms."

"For every extra fast-food restaurant per 10,000 people, a city's obesity rate goes up three per cent, said Sean Cash."

"Cash is a health economics professor who drew up an "obesity map" that plots obesity rates and the density of the top 10 fast-food chains in Canada."

"According to last year's Canadian Community Health Survey, Maritime residents were generally fatter and had more fast-food joints. St. John's, N.L., for instance, has an obesity rate of 36 per cent and 3.5 fast-food joints per 10,000 people. Saint John, N.B., ranked close with 35 per cent obesity and access to four outlets per 10,000 people."

Wednesday, December 19, 2007 in The Vancouver Sun

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