Zoning for Health: The Obesity Epidemic and Opportunities for Local Policy Intervention
Open accessAbstract
Several states and local communities have started to experiment with policy initiatives that affect the built-up environment in an attempt to decrease the prevalence of obesity. The focus of these policy measures has generally been to eliminate geographical disparities in access to food. Recent policy proposals include the use of zoning laws to create a healthier food environment by providing incentives for chain grocers to open stores in disadvantaged, underserved areas and providing incentives for existing food retailers to offer healthier products. The economic feasibility of implementing these types of interventions depends on the policymaker's ability to identify communities most at need. We use computer simulations, based on introducing new chain grocers in targeted areas, to map the effects on BMI of this modification in the food environment. In this study, we show that targeting economically disadvantaged communities with high prevalence of obesity-related diseases can provide an effective means of identifying areas where policy implementation will be most beneficial for improvements in health outcomes such as BMI.
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Seven cross-sectional studies in adults and children found greater accessibility to neighborhood supermarkets was associated with lower prevalence of adiposity; 1 county-level ecological study did not.
“Seven cross-sectional studies in both adults and children found that greater accessibility to neighborhood supermarkets (presence, number, or distance) was associated with lower prevalence of adiposity290–297; 1 county-level (ecological) study did not.298”
From Population Approaches to Improve Diet, Physical Activity, and Smoking Habits: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association (2012) · cites this paper as [295]
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- Authors
- Chen, S. E., & Florax, R. J. G. M.
- Affiliations
- Purdue University West Lafayette (US)
- Corresponding author
- Chen, Susan E.
- Venue
- The Journal of Nutrition
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2010-06
- Volume
- 140
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 1181-1184
- ISSN
- 0022-3166 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2096957889
- Cited by
- 45
- References
- 34
- Citations by year
- 2025: 4 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 1 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 1 · 2013: 6 · 2012: 8
- FWCI
- 6.34
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Journal of Nutrition (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Food Security and Health in Diverse Populations
- Social Sciences › Transportation › Urban Transport and Accessibility
- Keywords
- obesity, zoning law, food environment, built environment, food access disparities, economically disadvantaged communities, body mass index, local health policy, food retail, computer simulation
- MeSH terms
- Commerce, Computer Simulation, Food Supply, Humans, Models, Theoretical, Obesity, Nutrition Policy
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