More than 2 million California teenagers drink at least one sugar-sweetened beverage a day, and almost half of them eat fast food twice a week, according to research released Wednesday [July 27, 2011].

The study by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research also found that the average California teen has nearly eight times as many fast-food restaurants and convenience and discount stores near their homes and schools as they do grocery stores. Almost 75 percent of adolescents live and go to school in less healthy environments, researchers found. Teens living or going to school in such neighborhoods are more likely to drink soda and eat fast food.

Researchers discovered more than 60 percent of adolescents in Riverside and San Bernardino counties drank at least one sugar-sweetened beverage a day. Almost 50 percent of San Bernardino County teenagers ate fast food at least twice a week, while nearly 60 percent of Riverside County teens did.

“You are what you eat,” said Susan Babey, a study co-author and senior research scientist at the center. “You are also where you live. And if you live in a place where there’s a fast-food restaurant or convenience store on every block, with few healthier alternatives, you are likely to eat more junk.”

Researchers used 2007 health survey information and a U.S. business database to measure the number of less healthy food outlets relative to that of healthier stores surrounding teenagers’ homes and schools. They then compared that measurement to unhealthy teen food consumption.

The study found that adolescents in more unhealthy neighborhoods were 17 percent more likely to drink sugar-sweetened beverages every day and 18 percent more likely to eat fast food at least twice a week as teenagers in healthier neighborhoods.

“We have put our children and youth in harm’s way, and they are paying the price for our carelessness,” said Dr. Robert K. Ross, president and CEO of the California Endowment, a private health foundation, which funded the study. “If nothing is done, this will be the first generation to live shorter lives than their parents.”

The study recommends policies to improve food environments where teens live and go to school, including zoning and farm-to-school programs that bring fresh produce to school cafeterias. They also said incentives should be implemented to create healthy food outlets, such as farmers markets and grocery stores, in underserved neighborhoods.

“The research shows that how we plan and zone our communities has a real impact on our health and quality of life,” Babey said. “Policymakers need to take this into account when deciding whether to zone a new grocery store or a fast food restaurant.”