Grant: Operating Grant

Chronic diseases caused by overweight and obesity are rapidly growing health problems. A host of environmental factors have contributed to the obesity epidemic, including trends toward larger portion sizes, the ubiquity of high-calorie convenience foods, and changes in zoning laws and urban design that discourage walking and increase our reliance on cars for transportation. Hence, neighbourhoods may have a profound influence on the risk of diabetes through the opportunities they provide for achieving a healthy lifestyle. We propose a series of studies using linked neighbourhood, survey and health data from Ontario to evaluate the relationship between environmental factors that are contributing to the obesity epidemic and the risk of diabetes. Specifically, we will examine whether the prevalence and incidence of diabetes is rising at a faster rate in urban neighbourhoods in Southern Ontario that discourage physical activity and healthy eating compared to areas that encourage these behaviours; and whether individuals living in areas that discourage physical activity and healthy eating have a higher risk of developing diabetes that those living in areas that encourage a healthy lifestyle. Strategies to halt the diabetes epidemic are critically needed. This research will advance our understanding of the role that neighbourhoods play in shaping our risk of diabetes. Modifiable factors within the urban built environment may be ideal targets for interventions aimed at preventing obesity-related diseases like diabetes.