Access to fast food outlets ‘linked to lower bone mass in infants’

New UK research has indicated that fast food intake during childhood may be a predictor of lower bone mass.

Conducted at the MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit at the University of Southampton, the research looked at the bone mineral density and bone mineral content among 1,107 children at birth and at four or six years of age, comparing the data to the number of supermarkets, healthy specialty stores and fast food outlets within a child's neighbourhood.

After adjustments for other variables, they found that greater access to fast food outlets was associated with lower bone mineral density and content in newborns.

By contrast, increasing neighbourhood exposure to healthy specialty stores – such as greengrocers – was associated with higher bone mineral density at four and six years of age.

Study co-author Professor Cyrus Cooper, chair of the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) committee of scientific advisors, said: "More extensive research is needed, but if confirmed in further studies, this would imply that action to improve the food environment could have benefits for childhood bone development."

This study offers evidence to support the introduction of zoning policies to increase the number of healthier food retailers in certain areas, while decreasing the number of fast food outlets.