Obesity Discussion Forums - View Single Post - Dangerous Neighborhoods make for Obese Children?

Obesity Discussion · 02-13-06, 08:48 PM

Title: CHILDHOOD OBESITY , By: Viadero, Debra, Education Week, 02774232, 1/25/2006, Vol. 25, Issue 20
Database: Academic Search Premier

Section: IN THE NEWS: REPORT ROUNDUP CHILDHOOD OBESITY

Growing up in a neighborhood where families feel unsafe can increase the odds that a child will become obese, a new study concludes.

The study — published Jan. 1 in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine — is based on data on 768 randomly selected children in 10 rural and urban communities across the nation. At age 7, the researchers found, children growing up in communities perceived to be dangerous were four times more likely to be overweight than their counterparts in the neighborhoods considered safest.

The researchers suggest that one possible reason for the difference is that children in neighborhoods that appear to be dangerous may get less outdoor exercise. The researchers say their findings call for directing more public-health efforts toward improving communities' safety, whether real or perceived.

A summary of "Neighborhood Safety and Overweight Status in Children" is online at http://archpedi.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/short/160/1/25.

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By Debra Viadero

02-13-06, 08:48 PM	#1 (permalink)
Obesity Discussion Administrator Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 7,851 Weight Statistics 8/1/2006 Start Date: 185 lb Start Weight: 152 lb Current Weight: 155 lb Goal Weight: -33 lb Weight Loss: 5/1/2007 Goal Date:	Dangerous Neighborhoods make for Obese Children? Title: CHILDHOOD OBESITY , By: Viadero, Debra, Education Week, 02774232, 1/25/2006, Vol. 25, Issue 20 Database: Academic Search Premier Section: IN THE NEWS: REPORT ROUNDUP CHILDHOOD OBESITY Growing up in a neighborhood where families feel unsafe can increase the odds that a child will become obese, a new study concludes. The study — published Jan. 1 in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine — is based on data on 768 randomly selected children in 10 rural and urban communities across the nation. At age 7, the researchers found, children growing up in communities perceived to be dangerous were four times more likely to be overweight than their counterparts in the neighborhoods considered safest. The researchers suggest that one possible reason for the difference is that children in neighborhoods that appear to be dangerous may get less outdoor exercise. The researchers say their findings call for directing more public-health efforts toward improving communities' safety, whether real or perceived. A summary of "Neighborhood Safety and Overweight Status in Children" is online at http://archpedi.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/short/160/1/25. ~~~~~~~~ By Debra Viadero __________________