Too many cafés on your way to work? Watch out for its effect on BMI

Many factors need to be considered for successful weight loss or maintenance regimes, but a recent study appears to have added a new dimension by examining the proximity of food sources as a determinant. Admittedly, there has been some research to show how having a diner or café near home can lead to higher body mass index (BMI). But the new study conducted in New Orleans that has gone further to include not only eateries near workplaces but even along commuter routes reiterates a more intimate connect: we are indeed what we eat. Not many can resist grabbing something to munch when that carb craving hits on the way to or from work or in the middle of a meeting. And, as this study indicates, the better the quality of food outlets close at hand — whether near home, work or in transit — the better the BMI, the type of temptations in our surroundings have much to do with our girths.

Maybe weight conscious people should henceforth start looking for ‘healthy routes’ and not merely healthy routines, aided by some appropriate app. Moreover, as the study links BMI to varied food environments, and given the increasing concern shown by civic bodies, particularly in the West, about healthy eating, it may be just a matter of time before zoning restrictions are applied to food outlets based on the average calorie count of their items.