Restaurant availability and adult obesity in the United States
研究了美国3143个县中快餐和全服务餐馆的可得性对成人肥胖率的影响，发现两者关系因地区而异，有助于制定社区层面的公共卫生政策。
While dining out has been identified as a contributing factor to adult obesity, this study challenges the prevailing notion that it consistently leads to increased obesity rates. Restaurants have diversified their menus, and the relationship between dining out and adult obesity may vary by region. Using a macro-level regional approach, this study examined the spatially heterogeneous effects of restaurant availability (e.g., fast-food and full-service restaurants) on adult obesity at the community level. To achieve this, a geographically weighted regression was applied in a case study of 3143 counties in the United States. The findings revealed that fast-food and full-service restaurant availability had distinct effects on adult obesity, with these relationships varying across different regions. These findings can help public agencies and practitioners better understand regional disparities in how different types of restaurant availability influence adult obesity rates, ultimately supporting the development of community-based public health policies related to the restaurant industry. • The relationship between restaurant availability and adult obesity was examined. • A macro-level regional approach was employed in a case study of 3143 counties in the US. • Geographically weighted regression and visualization techniques were employed. • Fast-food and full-service restaurant accessibility had distinct effects on adult obesity. • These relationships were spatially heterogeneous across different regions.