Apparently, the smaller the city and lower the income, the greater the weight of women. What does the size of the city have to do with your weight? It seems like a lot!
A study by Kansas State University found that having a supermarket nearby increases the risk of obesity in low-income women living in small towns with a population less than 40,000. However, this doesn’t happen in the case of rural and metropolitan areas.
If I’m Hungry, I Go to the Market!
According to researchers, the solution is not having supermarkets in all cities, but there should be stores with healthy products, at affordable prices.
Women in small towns buy at markets that are within a radius of 1.3 to 5 miles from their homes. These women, with lower incomes, are more limited by transportation, which limits their choices of where to buy, since they must choose somewhere near their homes.
According to the managers of this research, David Dzewaltowski, professor at the University of Kansas and Director of the Department of Kinesiology, and Paula Ford, assistant professor of Public Health Sciences at the University of Texas at El Paso, “the possibility of choosing a supermarket should be more important than availability. In addition, we must consider that low-income women who live in small cities are more exposed to fast food restaurants and other high-calorie choices, that are generally absent in rural areas.”
Make a List Before Going to the Market
Maybe having the market close, many people don’t feel the need of making a list of what they need, unlike women living in rural areas, where they must write things down, in order not to forget anything.
And we all know what happens when we go to the store and buy “what comes up at the moment.” We fill up the cart of basket with “temptations,” leaving out healthier foods.
Also, in small towns, the cost of vegetables and fruits is usually above average. This complicates the decision if you’re trying to lower costs.
If any of these examples is your case, follow these tips:
• Find out which supermarkets offer the best prices for fruits and vegetables, and assign one day a week to go to that market.
• Each time you go to the market, make a list. This way, you’ll save more than when buying randomly, and you’ll make wiser, healthier choices.
• If there are special offers of fruits and vegetables on Sundays, go to the market this day and compare prices. In some cases, foods will be more expensive, because they’re organic, but others have better prices.
• Avoid purchasing your foods on a daily basis, since you’ll be at risk of buying unnecessary things.
With some minor changes in your buying habits, you’ll get more than you imagine. First, you’ll save money if you buy in a more organized way; second, you’ll save calories, planning your meals and buying only what you need. Who knows… maybe the next study will conclude slim women live in the smallest cities.
Source: MedicalNewsToday.com
