Thursday, February 15. 2007

Geography and Obesity

A study published in the lastest issue of the American Journal of Health Promotion
finds a possible relationship between childhood obesity and the available of local parks and green space.

The authors studied 7,334 children between the ages of 3 and 18 residing in Marion County, Ind., and determined whether they were overweight by calculating their body mass index (BMI). They then looked at amounts of green landscapes and also proximity to food retail — fast food restaurants, convenience stores and supermarkets — of each child’s home using satellite imagery and geographic information.

...those who lived in higher population density regions with less greenery were more likely to have a BMI above the 85th percentile, putting them “at risk for overweight.”

Posted by Adena Schutzberg at 09:18 | Comment (1) | Trackbacks (0) |

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I have not read the article, but we shouldn't jump to the conclusion that parks deserve credit for lower BMIs. Socio-economic class likely plays a large role in where children live, what they eat, and what kinds of recreational opportunities they have. Children of higher income households may live in newer developed, suburban areas where there is more open space, but that may not be the reason why they are healthier. They are more likely to eat fresh produce and play club soccer or other sports than less affluent children who have poorer diets and fewer opportunities for P.E. and afterschool sports due to budget cuts. Other concerns by parents, such as crime, may prevent children from exercising outside.

#1 jennifer on 2007-02-21 17:30 (Reply)

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