Healthier Neighborhoods Lower Obesity Risk
June 11, 2013Many families move to a specific neighborhood because of better schooling and lower crime rates but according to a recently published study, there is another important factor to consider. Researchers from the Drexel University School of Public Health found that neighborhoods with healthier food options within a mile from home tended to have fewer obese people over a five-year time frame than neighborhoods with fewer healthy food options. Published in the journal Obesity, the study included 4,008 adults from six cities. The participants were not obese at the beginning of the study. Participants answered surveys about the availability of healthy food close to their homes as well as the walkability of the neighborhood.
After the study concluded, 406 of the participants were obese and the collected data showed that neighborhoods that provided healthier food options and had better walkability made a measurable difference in the weight of the participants. Other data was factored in such as age, education, sex, income diet, smoking, exercise, and ethnicity.
Researchers say that changing the neighborhood environment (in conjunction with other strategies) and making it easier for individuals to maintain a healthier lifestyle will help to promote healthy behaviors.
To help create healthier neighborhoods, Dr. Amy Auchincloss, an assistant professor at Drexel and co-author of the study says suggests implementing programs such as farmer's markets and subsidies for fresh food vendors to be located in disadvantaged areas.