Fat city: Questioning the relationship between urban sprawl and obesity

JOURNAL:  Journal of Urban Economics
AUTHORS: 

Jean Eid,

Henry G. Overman,

Diego Puga &

Matthew A. Turner

SUMMARY:  We study the relationship between urban sprawl and obesity. Using data that tracks individuals over time, we find no evidence that urban sprawl causes obesity. We show that previous findings of a positive relationship most likely reflect a failure to properly control for the fact the individuals who are more likely to be obese choose to live in more sprawling neighborhoods. Our results indicate that current interest in changing the built environment to counter the rise in obesity is misguided.

CULTURAL REFERENCE: Fat City is a 1972 American neo-noir boxing drama film directed by John Huston. The picture stars Stacy Keach, Jeff Bridges, and Susan Tyrrell. One of Huston's later films, it is based on the boxing novel Fat City (1969) by Leonard Gardner, who also wrote the screenplay. Tyrrell received an Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination as the alcoholic, world weary Oma.

Scientific paper

Film