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Can Your Community Make You Heavier?
Some recent studies suggest that an urban community's design can affect how
heavy its residents are. A new study suggests that community features can also
affect obesity in rural neighborhoods. Researchers at Saint Louis University's
School of Public Health have linked several environmental factors, including
being far from a recreational facility and feeling unsafe from crime or traffic,
with a higher risk of obesity in rural communities.
 The
researchers, with funding from NIH's National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive
and Kidney Diseases, surveyed over 2,500 people by telephone in 13 communities
in rural regions of Missouri, Tennessee and Arkansas. They were asked their height
and weight and about their diets and physical activity levels, along with a series
of questions about their communities. The results were published in the July/August
issue of the American Journal of Health Promotion.
Those who said they were far from a recreational facility or a walking or biking
trail were more likely to be obese. Also more likely to be obese were those who
said they weren't within walking distance of local destinations like a library,
grocery store or post office. Feeling unsafe from traffic and crime were both
associated with being obese, particularly among women. People who perceived their
community as unpleasant were more likely to be obese as well, particularly among
higher income people.
Like many other studies, this one found that people who got little physical
activity and had high amounts of fat in their diets were more likely to be obese.
The availability and quality of fresh fruits and vegetables, however, had no
link with obesity.
The results of this study suggest that the rural neighborhood environment affects
obesity by influencing how much physical activity people get. However, it doesn't
prove the case. Obese people who live sedentary lives may be more likely to choose
communities with fewer opportunities for physical activity in the first place.
They may also simply be less aware of the opportunities around them. Further
studies will reveal whether the way a community is designed can really affect
how much the people who live there weigh.
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