IUPUI study rejects weight gain myth

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - A new study finds that the proximity of fast food restaurants to children’s homes does not add weight to kids as originally thought. Researchers at IUPUI and IU-Bloomington conducted the study with children in Marion County.

After three years of research, IUPUI Professor Dr. Robert Sandy found living near a fast food restaurant has little effect on a child's weight.

"That conventional wisdom is based on simple associations, that is, people who choose to live near fast food maybe entirely different for other reasons than people who don't live near fast food," said Dr. Sandy.

The study compared children's weight over time before and after a fast food restaurant moved near their neighborhood.

Researchers studied 55,000 children between the ages of three and 18 who live in Marion County.

"This is a poor population, heavily African-American, heavily Hispanic and very much toward the middle of the city," Dr. Sandy said.

Dr. Sandy said the study could be used to help fight childhood obesity.

"When you have low-income kids who have higher obesity rates nationally and locally, then they're most sensitive to their immediate environment," explained Sandy.

Researchers also found that children living near certain recreational spots lowered their body mass indexes.

The complete study is available on the National Bureau of Economic Research web site (Note: a $5 subscription fee is required to view the materials).