Impact of the Neighborhood Food Environment on Dietary Intake and Obesity: a Review of the Recent Literature.

Abstract

The built environment impacts obesogenic behaviors and in turn body weight outcomes. This review summarizes recent research demonstrating environmental impacts on dietary intake and obesity with a specific focus on the neighborhood food environment. In the previous five years, an abundance of reviews and research studies have been undertaken to elucidate how the neighborhood food environment impacts diet and obesity. This includes studies using primary data collection and secondary data analyses in various populations across the globe. Taken together, current research presents mixed evidence on the impact of the neighborhood food environment on both dietary intake and obesity. While there is some evidence that certain features of the neighborhood food environment influence health behaviors and outcomes in particular populations, it is imperative to acknowledge the complexity of how neighborhood features interact and constantly evolve when considering place-based influences on health behaviors and outcomes.