A recent Kansas State University study found that the availability of supermarkets -- rather than the lack of them -- increased the risk of obesity for low-income women living in small cities. This suggests that policies to increase healthful eating behaviors might need to be tailored based on geographic location. The findings showed that limited availability of grocery stores did not contribute to an increased risk of obesity in metropolitan or 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," said David Dzewaltowski, K-State professor and department head of kinesiology.
"Previous research assumes that most people shop within their own census tract or ZIP code," Ford said.