A Link Between Fat Kids and Slurpees

Is 7-Eleven making kids fat?

A study out of Canada finds links between child obesity and how close kids live to convenience stores. The ongoing study by six Quebec institutions is trying to identify reasons for heart disease and diabetes in children.

"Access to convenience stores seems more relevant in obesity than access to fast food restaurants," says Université de Montréal researcher Tracie Ann Barnett.

The researchers studied more than 600 children in Montreal, representing different income levels. The children's families had household incomes that ranged from $31,000 to $141,000. Forty-two percent of the kids were overweight and 22 percent were obese, the researchers found.

While convenience stores aren't enjoying the same rate of growth as they've had over the past three decades, it's a big business. There are more than 144,000 convenience stores in the U.S. with sales of $624 billion in 2008.

While beer and tobacco are big sellers at these stores, candy is a high-impulse buy, according to the industry's trade group. And of course there are all those Slurpee drinks. The most Slurpee drinks are sold in Winnipeg, Manitoba, in Canada, followed by Detroit, according to 7-Eleven's Web site.

The world's largest convenience store chain, 7-Eleven Inc., operates more than 6,840 stores in the U.S. and Canada. The largest chain in Canada is Quebec-based Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc., which is expanding in the U.S. and operates under different names, including Circle K and Mac's. That company had sales of $7.5 billion through the first six months of its fiscal year, a 16 percent decline. Closely held 7-Eleven doesn't disclose its sales.

Convenience stores make no pretenses about being the leading purveyors of healthy food. Under fun facts on its Web site, 7-Eleven boasts that it sells more grilled hot dogs a year (56 million) than anyone else in the U.S. as well as 60 million doughnuts and pastries a year. What's more, the chain says it uses 365,000 pounds of glaze each month on its doughnuts, fritters and other pastries.

However, 7-Eleven spokeswoman Margaret Chabris says the company is working on providing a section in stores for healthy kid's snacks. And she notes that the stores sell plenty of good-for-you things like fruits, juices and milk.