Lack of grocery not sole obesity cause, report says

A lack of full-service grocery stores in low-income areas often is blamed for high obesity rates, but prices and store layouts might play a bigger role, according to a report looking at the Hill District and Homewood.

Distance to store and prices can influence local levels of obesity — the further away a person shops, the higher the risk of obesity, the report on so-called food deserts found. But when the distance and food prices are jointly considered, prices appear more significant, the study found….