Embargo expired: 2/15/2007 12:00 AM EST Source Newsroom: Health
Behavior News Service Newswise — Children in population-dense
regions who live around green parks and lawns may be less likely
to be overweight, according to a study appearing in the
March/April issue of the American Journal of Health Promotion.
The researchers based their study on a long-held theory that
environmental conditions can influence the growing obesity
epidemic by affecting physical activity and nutrition. They
concluded that densely populated neighborhoods with more plants
and grass were associated with a reduced risk of overweight
among children and suggested it was because access to parks and
outdoor play spaces increased their activity levels. "I was
intrigued by our results," said lead author Gilbert Liu, M.D.,
of the Children's Health Services Research Program at Indiana
University School of Medicine. He said that while his urban
neighbors may see youth "playing kick-the-can in the middle of
the street "¦ most would agree that pl