Neighborhood characteristics and obesity: A focus on the food environment

The rate of obese and overweight individuals in the United States is at epidemic proportions. Previous research has found that neighborhood characteristics are correlated with health outcomes and obesity rates. My study focuses on aspects of the food environment and how it may influence obesity rates in four local communities in the Salt Lake Valley. These four small areas are Holladay, West Valley West, Rose Park, and the Avenues. These four communities were selected because they represent different educational and socio-demographic profiles, as well as different neighborhood types, including newer suburban versus older metropolitan neighborhoods. I used data from the Utah.