Exploring the Relationship between the Fast Food Environment and Obesity Rates in the US vs. Abroad: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Obesity remains one of the greatest public health concerns in our modern-day society, necessitating an understanding of the underlying contributing factors. This systematic review examines the existing literature to better understand the relationship between the fast food environment and obesity rates within the United States (US) compared to other countries throughout the world. To be included in our review, studies must have been peer-reviewed, published in English, and had to include some measure of analysis of the fast food environment and rates of obesity. Based on the results of our review (n=46 studies), the findings were largely similar between US and non-US studies; in both cases, there were inconsistent associations between the fast food environment and rates of obesity/overweight. However, in terms of socioeconomic status (SES), our findings were consistent across both US and non-US studies; lower SES was associated with unfavourable fast food environments, higher concentrations of fast food restaurants, higher consumption of junk food, and higher obesity rates. Based on the results of our review, we conclude that more longitudinal research must be performed with consistent methodology in order to more clearly understand the role of the fast food environment in the development of obesity.