A new study examined whether neighborhood food access in early life is associated with trajectories of child body mass index and obesity risk. Study results show that neighborhood food access matters. Residing in low-income, low-food-access neighborhoods during pregnancy or early childhood is linked to a higher body mass index (BMI) z-score and a more than 50% increased risk of obesity and severe obesity from childhood to adolescence. Investing in neighborhood resources to improve food access during pregnancy and early childhood may play a crucial role in preventing child obesity.
