Can ZIP codes predict obesity?

Posted on Sep 4th 2007 6:00PM by Bethany Sanders

Filed Under: Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness

If you're curious about the health of citizens in your area, you may not have to look any farther than your mailbox. Recent research suggests that ZIP codes are a fairly accurate way to predict obesity rates. Two separate studies -- one in Seattle and one in New York -- found that geographical location and the associated socioeconomic status of those neighborhoods could easily be correlated to weight. As the prices of average homes climbed, rates of obesity fell and the opposite was also found to be true.

One theory experts have is that in poorer areas, residents are more likely to have access to and buy sweet and high-fat foods -- often the cheapest on the shelves. It's an intriguing study, and MSNBC has an interview with the lead author here.

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Tags: fat and skinny zip codes, FatAndSkinnyZipCodes, obesity, obesity and zip codes, obesity statistics in America, ObesityAndZipCodes, ObesityStatisticsInAmerica

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)

web 9-09-2007 @ 9:02PM

Most people cannot afford to eat. the ones who can are the same people who can afford trainers at the gym. Poor people must eat high carbs, and the foods they get from assistance programs are never healthy. For all of you who like to donate food or money to help poor people, dont donate day old cakes, maybe some vegaetables, and healthier foods.

Russ Pritchett 9-09-2007 @ 9:19PM

Tobacco will simply go black market. Remember prohibition? You know ! Alcohol? Do something to control drugs. How about red light runners. So many other things besides whipping a dead horse. It's taxed. Do something about hunger, homeless and health care for the poor. Add your comments for these solutions and do something about it.

barbara 9-09-2007 @ 9:38PM

Duh!!! So, people in lower income neighborhoods are heavier? That is news??? Much of the food they can afford is high carb. I should know. When I had very little money, I gained weight on the macaroni and other things I bought to fill us up. You have a tendancy to buy things with sugar that are cheap and filling. Are those neighborhoods full of dieticians? Not!!!!

smdryad 9-09-2007 @ 9:38PM

I don't know about zip code but it is sure harder to eat well on a tight budget.

My husband has been doing the Inch Loss plan for about 3 weeks now. It isn't really any more expensive than when he was going out to lunch each day. (http://www.cinchplan.com/good_health) He just does the breakfast shake on the weekends, and one week he went on a business trip and didn't bring it at all. But he has been taking the metabolism boosting supplement faithfully for 4 weeks. He said he noticed at first he had to urinate a lot even though he hadn't increased his fluid intake. I'm thinking some kind of detox? But that passed and after about 3 days he needed to buckle his belt one notch tighter. He described the 3 in 1 boost as being like "drinking a triple cappuccino" because he has so much energy. He was previously dealing with a lot of fatigue. But he also said that unlike coffee, which makes you wired and you are still tired, it actually wakes him up fully. One thing he did adjust was that he doesn't take them past mid afternoon or they keep him awake at night. So he just takes them earlier in the day. He doesn't feel hungry on the plan either. Today I asked him if he felt that it was working and he gave a resounding "yes!" I noticed his denim shorts
looked loose and he said that these were previously very tight. He showed me how they were barely staying on his hips. He hasn't been checking the scale since the first week, but just going on clothing
fit. He did note a 3 pound weight loss the first week, but really, the clothing fit is a better indicator.

pat 9-09-2007 @ 9:45PM

I live in an up scale neighborhood in clearwater florida
alot of heavy people here. They say its that they work late have kids by the time that they get home they cook and eat at 9 or 20 pm or they get burger king or something qick that they don't have the time to cook, The homeless here are thinner then these people

barbara 9-09-2007 @ 9:44PM

To smdryad. Why are you taking up space talking about your diet program? Who cares about how your husband urinates? Get on the subject or go to another blog.

Jesse Godwin 9-09-2007 @ 10:37PM

I think that's true...When I lived in south florida I ate leaner and looked leaner. A keepin up w/ the Joneses kinda thing. Then I moved into the country where the Jonses kinda thing is fried chix, mashed pots, mac&cheese ext.....
Oops there went the waistline... After trying this, and trying that, which never seemed to work for me, my friend introduced me to some whole grain foods that put me back on track, to getting my body back. I can sugest http://manette.wholefoodfarmacy.com You can change your bodies zip code and not even leave your neighborhood.

Irene Pare 9-09-2007 @ 10:45PM

If your addiction is food, you must wear it like a scarlet letter. If your addiction is illegal drugs or prescribed drugs, alcohol, gambling, shopping, sex, tobacco it seems to be okay. No matter what it is, it is still addiction. Sooner or later we will all become not so pretty. Maybe we should all look within and find out who we really are and why we are such a shitty group of people. Too much time? Too much money? Many of us are "American Pigs" in some way.

Get Real!! 9-09-2007 @ 11:04PM

"6. I live in an up scale neighborhood in clearwater florida
alot of heavy people here. They say its that they work late have kids by the time that they get home they cook and eat at 9 or 20 pm or they get burger king or something qick that they don't have the time to cook, The homeless here are thinner then these people

Posted at 9:45PM on Sep 9th 2007 by pat"

Of course homeless people are thinner! They really have no way to buy, store, and prepare food! DUH! I was homeless for three years! So I know how difficult it is to survive on the streets! I was forced to do it with children to care for. They ALWAYS ate before I did when I could get food.

massagebymyrna 9-09-2007 @ 11:08PM

I already knew that the main reason (probably) that people remain to be obese is because the economy is bad and food prices are high. i was just waiting for the scientists to report it.

massagebymyrna 9-09-2007 @ 11:11PM

i already knew that the main reason (probably) that obesity still rages is because the economy is bad and food prices are high. i was just waiting for the scientists to report it.

PARIS 9-09-2007 @ 11:23PM

WHAT DOES THE ZIP CODE HAVE TO DO WITH ANYTHING! FIRST PEOPLE EAT WHEN THEY ARE STRESSED, DEPRESSED OR JUST DAMM HUNGRY! YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE A PH.D TO FIGURE THAT ONE OUT. THE ARTICLE IS A JOKE!

p.k.darnall 9-09-2007 @ 11:24PM

The relationship between diet and physique is cultural, not economic. As a very impoverished college student, I ate one healthy meal, high in fiber and protien, daily and exercised often, riding a bike to class and playing tennis at night. I am still fit at 56, though here in Mississippi, one must often sidestep between waddling blimps. My advice? Keep a strong, ideal self image at the forefront of your consciousness when making decisions about diet and recreation. Also, hang out with a lean, aggressive peer group.

aww 9-09-2007 @ 11:55PM

to pk darnell :all college students are basically impoverished, are you serious, and by then you had learned your eating habits, probably from your phd dad and masters degreed mom, with their ideal self image they engrained in you.

minnie 9-09-2007 @ 11:53PM

I think it really doesn't matter about your income. Poor people have food stamps and other people use their money. I think if you plan ahead with your meals and know what you are fixing when you get home and portion control you can do it. Do more with your family not just T.V. watching. Walking outside is free.

Cate 9-10-2007 @ 12:01AM

There must be a lot of rocket scientists out of work! There are fat rich people too except they can hide it behind frosted hair and nice clothes. What do they mean by overweight? Is the rich, skinny, depraved look the measure? Is concentration camp thin a sign of wealth and health? Yikes! Weight is psychological, cultural, physiological and biological. There are thin people who are poor. There are fat people who are poor. There are fat people who are healthy. There are skinny people who are healthy and there are skinny people who are ill. We are so quick to put everything in a box and lable it. There are variables to everything. Researchers are the only ones who benefit from most research...they get published and they make money.

SALLY 9-10-2007 @ 12:42AM

WE WORK OUR BUTTS OFF JUST TO BUY GAS AND PAY FOR UTILITIES . WHO HAS MONEY FOR FOOD -- A PROPER DIET -AS SOME WOULD SAY .ARE THERE ANY IN THE WHITE HOUSE IN THIS SITUATION . ITHINK NOT . WELL AT LEAST THE WORKING PEOPLE CAN HOLD THEIR HEADS UP HIGH , WE ARE NOT BEGGING THE GOVERMMENT FOR WHAT WE DON.T HAVE.

Tom 9-10-2007 @ 12:53AM

What a crock! If people just cared about themselves, they would do sometning about their weight. My neighborhood has at least doubled in value and yet I still see all the kids, guys and gals, just flabbing over the tops of their jeans. When I was in school kids cared how they looked, nowadays they don't seem to care. Young or old people just don't seem to care about their fisical appearance anymore.

Tom 9-10-2007 @ 1:08AM

What a crock. Wealth has nothing to do with weight. Metabolisim is the key. Between my wife and I we make a prety good amount of money. I stand six foot and weigh 145, my wife is 5foot 3 at 200. We have a gym that we both use on a daily basis. So much for the experts.

Amanda 9-10-2007 @ 1:08AM

It is NOT cheaper to eat unhealthy foods, but that is often what happens out of ignorance. It is actually cheaper to eat healthy, I'm living proof.
Almost broke? Buy some dry beans, onions, cheap greens in a bag....you have beans and greens dinner which will last a week. It is healthy as heck, won't make you fat, and it's cheap cheap cheap. I lost weight eating it. You do have to make the effort to cook it though, but it's easy.
If you have cheap basic baking items you can make cornbread-they're awesome together.
Same with rice (not bleached), a healthy, cheap filler. Many cultures eat tons of rice as filler and they are not overweight. Don't believe it when someone tells you rice will make you overweight!
There are hundreds more dinners like this, do your research. You DON'T have to eat unhealthy food to eat cheap!!! That is an ignorant excuse, or pure laziness.