Higher-Priced Fruits, Veggies Linked to Weight Gain in Kids

10/10/2005

Higher prices for fruits and vegetables may lead to increased weight gain in school-age children, particularly those who live in low-income areas.

By contrast, new research finds, children who live in neighborhoods where fruits and vegetables are more affordable gain less weight in the years from kindergarten to third grade.

While previous studies have linked the availability of food with diet, this one, conducted by the Rand Corp. and published in the current issue of Public Health, is the first to look at the relationship between children's weight gain and the price of food, said lead author Roland Sturm, a Rand senior economist.

"It's a very important study," said Dr. Tom Farley, a professor of community health sciences at Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in New Orleans. "It's the first that I'm aware of that does link the price of fruits and vegetables or any food item with obesity in kids and maybe even obesity in any age population."

The findings may help explain the current epidemic of overweight and obesity in the United States and other developed nations. During the same period that the study participants gained extra weight, the price of fruits and vegetables rose faster than other food prices and faster than the cost of living, the authors stated.

Experts have postulated that the availability and affordability of different foods might be contributing to the current obesity epidemic. Poor people, who have a higher rate of overweight and obesity, for instance, tend to live in neighborhoods with fewer large supermarkets and more small convenience stores. These smaller stores often carry higher prices.

"Nobody really knows why we're having such a problem with obesity. But it's a severe problem, and it's occurring when nobody wants to be overweight and when everyone understands the basic biology of how you become overweight," said Farley, who is co-author of Prescription for a Healthy Nation. "Many people are interested in trying to understand the environmental influences, and the availability and price of healthy and unhealthy items. There's not much information out there in terms of hard studies."