The distance young children live to a fast food restaurant may contribute to their eating habits.

A study in New York City by The Obesity Society, a scientific society dedicated to the study of obesity and its treatment, examined the relationship between proximity to healthy and unhealthy food outlets around children’s homes and their weight outcomes.

A study in New York City by The Obesity Society, a scientific society dedicated to the study of obesity and its treatment, examined the relationship between proximity to healthy and unhealthy food outlets around children’s homes and their weight outcomes.

Living farther than .025 miles — about half of a city block — from the nearest fast food restaurant was associated with lower obesity and obesity/overweight risk and lower Body Mass Index “z scores,” according to the study. Results ranged from 2.5 percent to 4.4 percent decreased obesity.

A total of 3,507,542 student-year observations of height and weight data from the 2009-13 annual FitnessGram assessment of New York City public school students were used, according to the study. BMI “z scores” were calculated, student obesity or obesity/overweight was determined using Centers for Disease Control and Prevention growth charts and these data were combined with the locations of four food outlet types: fast-food restaurants, wait-service restaurants, corner stores and supermarkets to calculate distance to the nearest outlet. 

Childhood obesity occurs when a child is well above the normal or healthy weight for his/her age and height, according to the CDC. Behaviors that can influence excess weight gain includes eating high-calorie, low-nutrient foods and beverages; not getting enough physical activity; sedentary activities such as watching television or other screen devices; medication use; and sleep routines. 

Keely McCrady, Johnson County AgriLife Extension Service family and community health agent, said without having seen research related to this topic, she can’t say for certain that childhood obesity is directly linked to living near a fast food establishment.

“However, I can say that environment can definitely have an impact on children’s’ health, including their eating habits,” McCrady said. “When looking at the simple matter of convenience, it is likely that families living near fast food restaurants could be consuming more processed foods with higher calorie, fat and sodium contents instead of taking time to prepare healthier food alternatives at home. Over time, those type of food choices could easily take a toll on a child’s health.”

There are a few ways parents can help their children have a healthier diet and avoid childhood obesity, she said.

“For instance, simply utilizing the MyPlate food guide when preparing meals at home is a great start to improving your child’s diet,” she said. “According to MyPlate, half our plates should include fruit and veggies, while the other half should include an appropriate serving of protein and grains. An additional serving of low-fat or fat free dairy rounds out a well-balanced meal.” 

Think about the snacks you are providing for your kids, she said. 

“Keep fresh fruit, vegetables and whole grain products on hand for snacking and encourage your kids to drink more water in place of sugar-sweetened drinks,” she said. “When your family does decide to eat out at a fast food restaurant, help your kids make conscious food choices: swap out the side of fries for a cup of fruit, replace soda with milk or water and choose a whole grain bread or bun in place of the more processed alternatives. These small choices can add up to equal more nutritious meals.”

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MANSFIELD – Breaking a diet can leave a feeling of hopelessness in the pit of the stomach, but it doesn’t mean all hope to losing weight is lost. 

Baylee Leonhardt, registered dietitian nutritionist at OhioHealth, firmly advocates for the food plate method and highlights the importance of eating each of the five food groups a day rather than a restrictive diet. 

“I don’t really recommend dieting. I just recommend healthy lifestyle changes,” Leonhardt said.

With diets such as mediterranean and keto becoming more popularized, however, Leonhardt can see the appeal. 

“A lot of the mediterranean diet goes hand-in-hand with the plate method with portion control and adding a variety,” Leonhardt said. 

The main point of the mediterranean diet is eating lots of vegetables, lean meats, some dairy fats like low fat cheeses or low fat greek yogurt, eating seafood twice a week and incorporating plant-based protein such as beans and soy foods. 

The mediterranean diet also has a lot of health benefits including lowering the risk of heart disease, chronic disease prevention, weight loss, improving brain function and more. 

Leonhardt would recommend the mediterranean diet over the keto diet, but maintaining a healthy balance of food intake should always be the main priority. 

“You also want to think about maintenance and sustainability of the weight loss, and so when we’re doing a very restrictive diet, we’re less likely to stay on it long term, whereas with just adopting healthy eating habits we’re more likely to learn and actually maintain the weight loss,” Leonhardt said.  

The one downfall she sees with the keto diet is that you can only have 20 grams of carbs a day, whereas on a mediterranean diet promotes high fiber foods with whole grains and non-starchy vegetables recommended. 

“The keto diet is a little more restrictive in a sense,” Leonhardt said. “A lot of your calories are coming more from fat and less from carbohydrates. That’s considered a very low carbohydrate diet, so you’re restricting a lot of your dairy products, fruits and your whole grains.” 

The American Heart Association recommends 25 grams of fiber a day, making it limited to get that fiber amount through a keto diet where it’s very high fat and low carb, according to Leonhardt.  

“Trying to stay below 20 carbs a day, you’re really limiting what varieties of food you can have at meals,” Leonhardt said.  

Though Leonhardt prefers the mediterranean diet over keto, she doesn’t rule out someone being able to maintain a healthy diet with keto. The food plate method, however, is her recommendation.

“If you’re doing a keto diet with a medical professional and you’re under supervision then I think that’s a different story, but I think learning healthy eating habits and lifestyle changes is a great way to promote weight loss instead of a restrictive diet,” Leonhardt said.

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