Hidden cost of buying groceries at Dollar General, Dollar Tree, Family Dollar and 99 Cent Store: study

Key Points:

• A UC Riverside study found that greater access to dollar stores is linked to higher rates of obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and type 2 diabetes, while access to traditional grocery stores correlates with better health outcomes.
• The research analyzed about 34,000 dollar store locations across the US, including Dollar General and Dollar Tree, and used CDC health data combined with geographic mapping to assess store accessibility within a 10-minute drive.
• Dollar stores, classified as general merchandise outlets rather than grocery stores, are often excluded from food consumption research despite being more numerous than traditional grocery stores nationwide.
• The negative health impact of dollar store access was stronger in the South and Midwest, regions with a higher ratio of dollar stores to traditional grocery stores, though results varied by city due to factors like the presence of independent grocers.
• Researchers recommend increasing healthier food options within dollar stores, such as partnering with local farmers to supply fresh produce, rather than reducing the number of dollar stores.