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A groundbreaking study reveals a significant connection between where individuals shop for food and their risk of obesity-related cancers, highlighting the complexities of addressing the obesity epidemic in the United States. Researchers found that simply increasing access to healthy grocery stores may not be enough to improve dietary habits and reduce cancer risk.
The study, published in BMC Medicine, utilized a novel activity-based index, analyzing GPS-tracked mobility data from nearly 359,000 retailers nationwide, to understand consumer behavior at the county level. The researchers linked this data with obesity-related cancer mortality data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Obesity is closely related to cancer, and every year, a significant portion of new cancer cases can be attributed to excessive obesity or body weight,” explained Ran Xu, assistant professor of Allied Health Sciences and lead researcher. “From a public policy perspective, we intuitively think that opening healthy grocery stores will improve diet quality and reduce obesity. However, our research shows it’s not that simple.”
The team found that people often travel outside their immediate neighborhoods to shop for food, and that tracking these activity patterns is a far stronger predictor of obesity-related cancer mortality than simply the location of healthy food retailers.
“Long story short, we found that tracking people’s activity and where they go is a much stronger predictor than location for obesity-related cancer mortality events,” Xu stated.
The activity-based index, which measured the percentage of visits to healthy food establishments, predicted obesity-related cancer risk twice as effectively as the traditional location-based approach, which focused on the percentage of healthy food retailers within a county.
The research also revealed variations across sociodemographic groups. For example, the association was stronger in Hispanic communities and among residents with higher socioeconomic status (SES). “For people with higher SES, when they go to grocery stores, they have the financial means to purchase something healthy,” said Peter Chen, associate professor of Geography, Sustainability, Community, and Urban Studies.
The researchers categorized healthy food locations as grocery stores, large warehouse clubs, and farmers’ markets, while convenience stores and fast-food establishments were deemed unhealthy.
The team plans to further investigate the factors influencing consumer purchasing decisions, using both GPS data and qualitative research methods like surveys. They aim to understand why individuals may not be shopping at healthy grocery stores within their neighborhoods.
“We need to focus on the actual behavior and activity, and that might give us better policy outcomes,” Xu concluded.
Disclaimer: This article is based on the provided research information and should not be taken as medical advice. Individual dietary needs and health risks vary. Consult with a healthcare professional for personalized guidance. The findings of this study highlight correlations and do not establish direct causation. Future research is needed to fully understand the complex relationship between food shopping habits and health outcomes.(More information: Qinyun Lin et al, Association of activity-based food environment index with obesity-related cancer mortality in the US, BMC Medicine (2025). DOI: 10.1186/s12916-025-03967-6)
