Keep Your Enemies Close When It Comes To Dieting

A wise person once told me to keep my friends close but my enemies closer. OK, maybe it was from "The Godfather"! But, it's still sound advice.

Apparently, that good tip extends to dieting as well.

Keep your enemies close especially when dieting. Believe it or not, having a KFC or Burger King down the block can be good for your waistline. Defying conventional wisdom, people are less likely to get fat if they live close to restaurants even fast food outlets.

According to a recent study, people who live less than a half mile from any source of food including grocery and convenience stores are less likely to become obese. In fact, people who lived near a wide variety of food stores and restaurants "were 10 percent less likely to become obese," say researchers at the University of Utah. "Having multiple food destinations within waling distance encourages you to walk, rather than drive, to your next meal," says study co-author Cathleen Zick.

The study shows that cities are making a mistake when they ban fast food outlets from neighborhoods, say researchers. Instead, each neighborhood should have a wide range of food outlets, including full service restaurants and grocery stores that promote healthy fare. [via Phys.org]