Living in a ‘food swamp’ may increase stroke risk, study finds

It can be hard to resist grabbing a burger and fries most of the time on the way home from work if you’ve had a long day and pass several fast food restaurants on your commute. This can be especially true if you live in what’s called a “food swamp.” As you can imagine, this is as serious an area as it sounds in a very particular way.

A food swamp is a neighborhood where you’ll find many businesses selling what are considered unhealthy foods instead of what you might consider healthy foods, according to a study published by the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. . Unfortunately, if you live in a food swamp, you may be at higher risk of having a stroke.

In a new study set to be presented at the American Stroke Association’s 2023 International Stroke Conference, researchers used data from the University of Michigan Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and the Department of agriculture, according to the American Heart Association (AAH).

This allowed them to create what is called a Retail Food Environment Index (RFEI) which is based on ratios of the amount of healthy and unhealthy food available in certain neighborhoods. Healthy foods were seen as available options at grocery stores, specialty food stores, and farmers’ markets. Unhealthy options were more like fast-food restaurants, full-service restaurants, and convenience stores filled with junk food. This was then compared to health data from 17,875 adults with an average age of 64.

The results showed that people living in an area with easier access to unhealthy foods – a food swamp – were 13% more likely to suffer a stroke than people living in neighborhoods with fewer stores and unhealthy restaurants.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

“Our research highlights the potential importance of a region’s retail food options as a structural factor affecting stroke, especially since most participants resided in areas with 6 times more food choices unhealthy than healthy,” said Dixon Yang, MDthe study’s lead author and a postdoctoral fellow at Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York City, according to the AHA.

“At this early stage of our research, it is important to raise awareness that a person’s neighborhood and food environment are potentially important factors affecting their health, especially in people who may have difficulty achieving optimal cardiovascular health goals,” Yang also noted. “In the future, it may be useful to focus on community interventions or dietary counseling to improve cardiovascular health, hopefully reducing the risk of stroke.”

“One thing I don’t like about food swamps is that these establishments target areas that are most vulnerable or likely to indulge in their food,” Jesse Feder, CPT, RDmy Crohn’s and colitis team, tells Eat this, not that! It could mean “poor neighborhoods, since fast food is cheap and readily available, […] around school districts since children generally enjoy fast food and unhealthy foods”, or “in areas with older populations to allow easier access to food for seniors”.

“While having easy access to food is good, having easy access to unhealthy foods and having a hard time finding healthier foods is not good,” says Feder. “This puts many different populations at increased risk for obesity and the diseases that come with it.”

“I strongly suggest limiting yourself to one to three fast food meals a week if possible,” Feder advises those who think they live in a food swamp. “I find it’s best to have a specific number in mind that you can track when trying to limit fast food consumption.”

“Plus, I would go to the grocery store and buy healthy snacks and foods to have around the house,” Feder suggests. “That way, you won’t want to waste what you’ve already bought, and you’ll be more likely to snack on healthier things if they’re in front of you at home.”

Finally, Feder points out that “meal prepping is another great way to limit fast food consumption and avoid the risks associated with food swamps”, saying that “if you prepare your meals and/or snacks at the advance, you will already have everything ready to eat for you every day.”

Desiree O