Proximity to Wal-Mart Good for Home Values, Bad for Waistlines

A recent study showed living near a Wal-Mart store was good for property values, while last week we learned that it will also make you fat. At least that’s according to a study published in the American Journal of Public Health that explored the correlation between access to retail stores, low prices and obesity rates. The study, “Obesity and Supermarket Access: Proximity or Price?” concluded that obesity prevalence among shoppers in higher-price supermarkets was 9 percent, or less than half of the 20.5 percent rate evident in the King County, Washington area where the research was conducted.