Fast food chains near schools lead to fatter kids

A new study by the American Association of Wine Economists confirms what would seem common sense - a fast food restaurant within 500 feet of a school may lead to obesity rates climbing.

The economists at the University of California and Colombia University who conducted the study say their study suggest that "a ban on fast foods in the immediate proximity of schools could have a sizable effect on obesity rates among affected students."

The researchers examined 3 million 9th graders in California and more than 1 million pregnant women in Texas, New Jersey, and Michigan to see how proximity to the restaurants affected obesity rates.

The study found that having a fast food chain located within 160 metres of a school is associated with an increase in the obesity rate of at least 5.2% at the school.

Pregnant women who lived within the same distance of a fast food restaurant have a 4.4% increase in the probability of gaining more than 20kg.

The study follows hard on the heels of a separate study released last month that found people living in neighbourhoods packed with fast food restaurants suffer a higher risk of stroke, and another study in December which found children living within 800m of a fast-food restaurant eat fewer fruit and veges, drink more soft-drink, and are more likely to be obese than those living further away.