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A "Walkable Neighbourhood" Could Be the Key to Weight Control
The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Utah, also showed that neighborhoods built before 1950 tended to offer greater overall walkability as they more often were designed with the pedestrian in mind, while newer neighborhoods often were designed to facilitate car travel.
Ken Smith, co-author of the study and professor of family and consumer studies at the University of Utah, said that although individuals clearly make personal decisions that influence their weight, neighborhood characteristics also play a potentially important role in affecting residents' risk of obesity.
"It is difficult for individuals to change their behavior but we can build environments that promote healthy behavior," he said.
Using height and weight data collected by the Driver License Division of the Utah Department of Public Safety, Smith and colleagues calculated the BMI of 453,927 Salt Lake County residents age 25 to 64, linking it to census-block groups via geographical coordinates.
The study showed that a man of average height and weight (6 feet, 200 pounds) weighed 10 pounds less if he lived in a walkable neighborhood versus a less walkable neighborhood.
A woman of average size (about 5-foot-5, 149 pounds), weighed six pounds less.
"The data show that how and where we live can greatly affect our health," Smith said.
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