Moving to the Suburbs Linked to Obesity & Diabetes Risk
posted 11/26/03
Americans living in areas of great urban sprawl are more likely to be obese and get diabetes than those who dwell in denser areas.

The results of a new study were reported last week at the annual meeting of the American Public Health Association.

"The built environment — the way U.S. metropolitan areas are structured — is affecting health," lead author Russ Lopez, MCRP, DSc, from the Department of Environmental Health at the Boston University School of Public Health, noted in a presentation. "Our research once again shows the relationship between the amount of sprawl and the risk of obesity."

Lopez presented the results of his research, which is scheduled for publication in the American Journal of Public Health in March. He constructed a measurement of urban sprawl among 316 metropolitan areas in the U.S., ranking each on a scale of 0 to 100 based on their density levels. Low density was defined as fewer than 200 people per square mile, while high density was defined as 3,500 or more people per square mile.

For example, New York City scored low on sprawl, with a ranking of 6.72, while Atlanta scored high, with a ranking of 80. "Only 12 areas had sprawl less than a score of 25," he said, "while 13 areas had scores of 100."

Lopez used data taken from a representative telephone survey of 108,000 adults in urban areas to examine people's body weights and the correlation between body weight and the type of area in which they reside.

"For every one point increase of sprawl, your risk of obesity goes up by half a percent," he reported. "Though it seems that individual risk is not great, we're talking 180 million people living in metropolitan areas."

However, the results only held true for whites, rather than those in other ethnic groups, he said. "This is a suburban phenomenon," he said. "We find this data doesn't have the same effect for minorities."

Minorities living in inner cities may have higher risks of obesity for reasons other than having to drive everywhere. "You may have a sidewalk, but it's broken. We didn't zone away the stores, but they all closed. It's the same result. Land uses have conspired to affect people's health."

Stephanie Lavoie, MS, MPH, RD, LDN, a strategic planner for the health department from Knoxville, TN, said of the presentation, "I definitely see a link between land use and health. I just wonder if at the local-level people are making these connections."

Although the idea of a healthy urban environment is gaining momentum, with many planned communities now built to integrate commerce, sprawl still appears to be on the rise, Lopez said. He compared data from 1990 to 2000 to track the changes in the urban landscape during the past decade, and found that two thirds of the areas sprawled over more territory during that time.

"Part of the movement to the suburbs was based on the desire for healthier living," Lopez said. "I worry people have made a mistake. I hope a day will come when public health people stand up and say, if you build more two-acre zoning, people's health status will be hurt."

Source: Diabetes In Control.com: The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health and by Fannie Mae. APHA 131st Annual Meeting: Abstract 4031.0. Presented Nov. 17, 2003.

November News Article Index