Where you live may influence what you weigh, a new study has found.
Funded by VicHealth, the three-year research project by the University of Melbourne shows that the more fast-food outlets and the fewer walking tracks a suburb has, the more unhealthy its residents are likely to be.
The Victorian Lifestyle and Neighbourhoods Environment Study looked at food choice, alcohol consumption and exercise habits of almost 5000 people across Melbourne and found that where they live has a big influence on them, says associate Professor Kavanagh.
Living in a richer or poorer neighbourhood was more important than a person's actual income, she said.
People living in low socio-economic status areas were less likely to exercise, had a higher body mass index (BMI), were less likely to buy healthy groceries, were less likely to eat fruit, bought fast food at least once a week and were more likely to drink alcohol.
Professor Kavanagh said: "Even though fruit and vegetables in lower socio-economic areas were cheaper, their cost took up a greater proportion of people's incomes.
"Up to a quarter of people in these areas said they had trouble carrying groceries, and were more likely to run out of money to buy food, which could be influencing their shopping habits."
The researchers also found that lower socio-economic suburbs had twice as many fast-food outlets than high socio-economic areas and fewer kilometres of walking tracks.
Professor Kavanagh said the study had attracted interest from the City of Knox, in Melbourne's north-eastern suburbs.
She said data from the study revealed walking rates among women with children were low in that area, and the local council now intended to survey mothers to determine what stood in the way of their walking.
