Living in an urban food desert is a risk factor for weight gain during childhood.

The past two decades have seen growing concerns over the rise of food deserts – areas where cheap and nutritious food is difficult to obtain. In new research which tracks childhood obesity rates, Michael R. Thomsen, Rodolfo M. Nayga, Jr., Pedro A. Alviola, IV and Heather L. Rouse find that for elementary school children, living in a food desert is linked with a having a higher body mass index, especially for those in urban areas.