Does Proximity to Fast Food Make Kids Fat?

The answer to this question -- according to a recent report -- is (surprisingly?) no.

The study, published in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, tracked the eating habits of 552 students, located in various areas throughout Maine, using questionnaires. They then compared the kids' food choices (as well as their height and weight) with the proximity of "bad" food options to the school building.

Contrary to what the researchers had predicted, the proximity of the schools to fast food restaurants and other unhealthy food options had little bearing on children's BMIs. However, prior research on this topic has produced quite opposite results -- such as a study that looked at 3 million ninth-graders in southern California, reports The Huffington Post.

Although some feel that this study could shift the focus of fighting childhood obesity more towards behavior-based programs -- rather than focusing on the external environment -- others feel that the study isn't relevant to the country at large because of its Maine setting. "I don't put very much weight behind this study," Michael Goran, director of the Childhood Obesity Research Center at the University of Southern California, told NPR.

So, does this study mean that community legislators and educators should stop thinking about the restaurants and stores that surround a school when designing programming to combat childhood obesity? From personal experience, do the food choices that surround you make a difference in your eating habits? What SHOULD schools be focusing on when it comes to student health?

We asked our readers and here's what some of them had to say:

Shelly R.
We switched from processed-food lunches to organic, hot lunches prepared on-site this year at our school and the kids loved it! We now have a fresh vegetable and herb garden and will be planting our fruit orchard very soon. The kids have begun eating more fruits and vegetables and even parents are taking note that the kids are eating better and making healthier choices at home.

Nakia D.
We were able to leave campus in high school for lunch. If the McDonald's would have been in walking distance, we would have eaten there. A LOT.

Ashley B.
I think child nutrition starts at home. Now I'm all for schools having healthier food because a lot of parents don't have time -- or the money -- to provide that for them ... but it shouldn't be because of the schools that kids are eating healthier. As for the businesses, if the parents don't buy it the kids won't get it and by high school, kids should have been taught about food and nutrition.

Molly M.
What SHOULD schools and communities be focusing on? How about reading, writing, arithmetic and minding their own business?

The Fitness Freaks
A school must be concerned with the health of its students. A physically fit student is not only an asset to the school but to the entire society.

Madeline S.
School should focus on getting sugar off the menu and providing regular recess sessions that focus on team games that engage everyone.

Joy M.
I think proximity matters. When I was a teen I used to eat fries every day because McDonald's was on my way home.