Environmental link to obesity

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

City dwellers living in areas with little greenery are more likely to be obese than those living in a more pleasant environment.
Previous research has suggested that obesity is linked to both levels of physical activity and place of residence. A new study from the UK Medical Research Council suggests that a major factor here may be how pleasant your surroundings are.

They looked at data from a large housing and health survey carried out in eight European cities. This showed that those living in places afflicted by graffiti and litter were not only less physically active, they were more likely to be obese as well.

But people living where there were high levels of greenery - parks, open spaces, trees - were three times more active than those in the less pleasant places. They were also 40 per cent less likely to be obese. So cleaning up a neighborhood may make it a more pleasant place to exercise which, in turn, could improve residents' health.

Source
BMJ Online First 18th August 2005