Barely 300 feet separate Fullerton Union High School from a McDonald's restaurant on Chapman Avenue. Researchers say that's boosting the odds that its students will be super-sized.
Teens who attend classes within one-tenth of a mile of a fast-food outlet are more likely to be obese than peers whose campuses are located farther from the lure of quarter-pound burgers, fries and shakes.
Those are the findings of a recent study by researchers from UC Berkeley and Columbia University seeking a link between obesity and the easy availability of fast food. The academics studied body-fat data from more than 1 million California ninth-graders over an eight-year period, focusing on the proximity of the school to well-known chains including McDonald's, Burger King, KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut.
Their conclusion: Fast food and young waistlines make lousy neighbors.
The presence of an outlet within easy walking distance of a high school -- about 530 feet or less -- resulted in a 5.2% increase in the incidence of student obesity compared with the average for California youths, a correlation deemed "sizable" according to the findings.
The link vanished when these fast-food joints were located farther from campus, presumably because students couldn't easily reach them. Nor was it present in schools located near full-service eateries, whose prices and service times don't typically match student budgets, tastes or schedules.
"Fast food offers the most calories per price compared to other restaurants, and that's combined with a high temptation factor for students," said Stefano DellaVigna, a UC Berkeley economist and one of the paper's authors.
The researchers said cities concerned about battling teen obesity should consider banning fast-food restaurants near schools.
At Fullerton Union, one-third of the ninth-graders examined over the eight-year study period were obese. That compares with a 27% rate at La Habra High School over the same period. Located just six miles from Fullerton Union, La Habra High has similar demographics, but its neighboring fast-food eateries are situated farther from the entrance to its campus.
Fullerton Union ninth-grader Anyea Wilson said she's consumed more McDonald's fare than ever before since starting at the school last year.
"I get ice cream, French fries, double cheeseburgers, all that stuff," the student said. "I know it's not very good for you, but I eat it because that is the closest place to school."
