Research progress on the association between food environment and obesity
JIA Menghan1,2, CHEN Pei1,2, LI Xin1,2, SUN Ling1,2
1. Hebei Children's Hospital, Shijiazhuang, Hebei 050031, China; 2. Hebei Provincial Clinical Medical Research Center for Children's Health and Disease, Shijiazhuang, Hebei 050031, China
Abstract：Obesity is a multi-factorial disease involving genetics, individual behavior, socio-economic status, and environmental factors, and has become a global public health issue. The food environment, as an external factor amenable to direct intervention, affects the development of obesity by shaping individual food acquisition and consumption behaviors. The food environment refers to the physical and social environment where food is accessible, and can be assessed from dimensions such as availability, accessibility, and affordability through geographic information system spatial analysis, field surveys, commercial databases, and questionnaires. Studies indicate that the food environment can influence obesity through the spatial shaping effects of dietary structure and sociobehavioral pathways. A healthy food environment is negatively correlated with the risk of obesity, whereas an unhealthy food environment is positively correlated with the risk of obesity. This paper reviews studies related to the correlation between the food environment and obesity, covering the prevalence of obesity, the definition and assessment methods of the food environment, and the mechanisms by which the food environment affects obesity. It summarizes food environment intervention strategies centered on urban planning, policies and regulations, and community education to provide a reference for obesity prevention and control.
贾梦涵, 陈培, 李鑫, 孙玲. 食品环境与肥胖的相关性研究进展[J]. 预防医学, 2026, 38(1): 43-47.
JIA Menghan, CHEN Pei, LI Xin, SUN Ling. Research progress on the association between food environment and obesity. Preventive Medicine, 2026, 38(1): 43-47.
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