The Impact of the Food Environment on Obesity Epidemic

The food environment encompasses factors like affordability, convenience, promotion, and quality of food available to individuals at home, workplace, community, or region. Changes in the food environment over the past few decades have coincided with the obesity epidemic, driven by the easy availability of ultra-processed, high-calorie, cheap foods. Factors like food delivery services and busy lifestyles contribute to increased consumption of outsourced, larger portion meals. Coupled with genetics unaccustomed to this food environment and reduced physical activity, this leads to the rise of obesity. Despite some studies suggesting a limited effect of the local food environment on healthy eating, it may be due to research constraints. Individual behavior change at a micro level can occur through altering shopping and cooking habits, but significant shifts in the food environment necessitate substantial policy alterations.