Oral

Consistent evidence suggests that children and adults who eat fast food are at an increased risk of overweight and obesity. Thus, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010 (DGA) encourages individuals to make better choices when eating out. While it is increasingly recognized that food environment may influence accessibility to healthy foods and hence obesity risk, there is a dearth of research on the contributions of neighborhoods to obesity development. Studies have reported differences in obesity risk and food environments by neighborhood income. Also, increasing associations have been found between local retail food environment, dietary behaviors and health outcomes. In this session, speakers will explore fast food restaurants and their relationship to body weight, obesity prevalence and trends in preschool aged children in Los Angeles County, and differences in food environment by adult race/ethnicity and poverty level income. Speakers will make use of data from the 2007 California Health Interview Survey (geocoded data), the Retail Food Environment Index (RFEI), California Integrated Statewide Information System, and the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

Session Objectives: 1. Identify selected mechanisms by which neighborhood environments my influence obesity rates in low income preschool aged population. 2. Discuss the impact of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) on fast food restaurants and choices made by individual eating away from home. 3. Describe the importance of using the RFEI to measure food environment and selected demographic and background variables.

CE Credits: Medical (CME), Health Education (CHES), Nursing (CNE), Public Health (CPH) , Masters Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES)