In another study in the Public Health Reports (2011) there was an examination of between the proportion of people in a county living at/below 130% of the federal poverty and three types of restaurants (fast food, chain full service and independent full service) and the link it had to the Body Mass Index (BMI) in those individuals. This article wanted to portray the link between county poverty and urban sprawl and how environmental planning has a relationship (negatively or positively) the BMI of the residents. The results were significant: with an increase to the proportion of chain and fast food restaurants in these low income areas, came an increase to the BMI to the residents living in those areas. .
Many have suspected that these restaurants are well aware of the impact they have in low income areas. In low economic areas, land prices are low and customers are high. They are capitalizing on low income families and infiltration these poverty struck areas in high numbers (Seliske, 2011). No matter the time of environment, whether it's a cityscape in inner city Detroit, or in the urban areas of the Midwest, areas with low income residents are a main target for chain restaurants. These chain restaurants infiltrate these areas for a few reasons. One reason being that low-income areas have cheaper property rates and they are able to build more quickly and for less money (Lee, 2008). These chain restaurants also know their demographic. They know that people that are live in low income areas will be more attracted to cheaper meals and larger portions. This idea of "value" is a recipe for disaster, since people will overeat on non-nutritious food, and put their health in jeopardy. .
Although the presence of fast food and chain restaurants add to the obesity epidemic, the community environment of an area tasks the problem as well. For instance, in low income areas, where communities are not established or designed for physical activities, there is a lack of opportunities to exercise (Lee, 2008).
