Weighting Line

Nature: Prevention for Childhood Obesity?

by Diane Penna on November 17th, 2008

I recently came across an article suggesting that when it comes to housing, greener is better for keeping children lean and preventing obesity. I’m not talking “green” as in recycling and reusing, but instead the color a neighborhood becomes when surrounded by trees, grassy lawns, and parks.

The article, which references a new study presented in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, also explains how these findings could be used to help community planners better address the needs of children when it comes to staying healthy.

It makes sense, really. If children have more room in their neighborhoods to run around, play tag, throw ball, or just take a nice walk–chances are they are going to be more active than those living in residentially-dense neighborhoods. I imagine that kids who live in these dense areas, where walking to the nearest park or playground is out of the question, instead spend their time afterschool in their rooms–watching television or playing video games.

Of course, having a ballpark across the street from your house doesn’t guarantee that your child will spend more time outdoors–there is a certain level of parental responsibility that comes along with a child’s health and activity level.

However, I do wonder how many developers and city planners actually think of this when designing or approving a new community project? It will be interesting to see if this study has any impact on the way neighborhoods are planned, and if it changes the way parents will house-hunt in the future.

Picture courtesy of K. Tuck at stock.xchng

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POSTED IN: In The News, Lifestyle Changes