Artificial Intelligence From Space Can Help Spot Obesity On Earth

By analyzing the high-resolution Google Map satellite images, the researchers in this study were able to estimate obesity on Earth -- even without actually spotting obese people.

The team led by researchers from University of Washington, Seattle, downloaded nearly 150,000 high-resolution Google Map satellite images of select neighborhoods in four cities - Los Angeles (California); Memphis (Tennessee); San Antonio (Texas) and Seattle (Washington State).

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‘By assessing a particular area with high obesity rates, city planners can develop more green areas to help people become more physically active.’

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Data on adult obesity prevalence were obtained from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention’s "500 Cities" project, said the study appeared in the journal JAMA Network Open on Sunday.

The team then fed these images into a convolutional deep learning neural network - aka AI -- that extracted features of the built environment - the distribution of buildings and green area.

"The extraction of built environment showed that physical characteristics of a neighborhood (presence of parks, highways, green streets, crosswalks, diverse housing types) could be associated with variations in obesity prevalence across different neighborhoods," the researchers wrote.

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Obesity has been linked to factors such as genetics, diet, physical activity and the environment.

However, evidence indicating associations between the built environment and obesity has varied across studies and geographical contexts.

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The study illustrates that convolutional neural networks can be used to automate the extraction of features of the built environment from satellite images for studying health indicators.

"Understanding the association between specific features of the built environment and obesity prevalence can lead to structural changes that could encourage physical activity and decreases in obesity prevalence," said the researchers.

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Behavioral traits that encourage unhealthy food choices and a sedentary lifestyle have been associated with features in the social and built environment.

The built environment can influence health through the availability of resources, such as housing, activity and recreational spaces, and measures of community design, the findings showed.

According to the researchers, assessing an area’s obesity rates may help city planners develop more green areas to help people remain more physically active.

Source-IANS