City parks encourage children to walk

Helps combat obesity

Steve Hawley, Mar 17, 09.

Canadian researchers have found that the presence of nearby city parks encourages children to walk more, according to US News & World Report. The authors noted that building more neighborhood parks might be a good way of reducing childhood obesity and encouraging heart health.

The article states, “For every park found within a half-mile of home, a girl’s likelihood of walking to school doubled and a boy’s odds of taking part in leisure walking increased by 60 percent, according to the findings, scheduled to be presented at an American Heart Association conference in Palm Harbor, Fla. ... The researchers said that the findings were consistent even when factoring in family income and average level of education in the neighborhood, a measure of economic advantage.”

The study’s lead author said, “In the past few decades, we have become more sedentary due to the increased use of labor-saving devices, motorized transportation, television and computers. In addition, children are spending more time inside, yet we know that spending time outdoors is an important determinant of activity. In future urban improvements, consideration must be given to parks, outdoor recreational areas and walking or cycling infrastructure in order to increase active living. Equally important is that the parks and recreational areas are well maintained and are safe.”

The researchers plan to follow the children for the next decade, or until they turn 18, in an effort to better understand the effects of the physical environment on obesity.

(Photo by Ron King, Natural Playgrounds Company President. Posted under a Creative Commons Share-Alike 3.0 license)