Study Links Dollar Store Proliferation to Higher Rates of Obesity and Diabetes

A UC Riverside investigation mapped the density of discount retailers—including Dollar General, Dollar Tree, Family Dollar and the 99 Cent Store—against CDC health statistics for major U.S. metropolitan areas. The study, which accounted for socioeconomic factors such as income and unemployment, revealed that residents living within a ten-minute drive of a dollar store faced higher rates of obesity, high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol and type 2 diabetes, whereas proximity to conventional grocery stores was associated with healthier outcomes.

The relationship held nationwide but was most pronounced in the South and Midwest, regions where the number of dollar stores approaches that of regular supermarkets. In cities like Philadelphia, the absence of data on smaller bodegas may have muted the observed impact. The authors caution against eliminating dollar stores and instead suggest expanding fresh-food options within them, possibly through partnerships with local farms. The findings underscore a hidden public-health cost tied to the affordability of processed foods sold at discount outlets.