The sun goes down on Auckland as it approaches Earth Hour, March 27, 2010.
The sun goes down on Auckland as it approaches Earth Hour, March 27, 2010. The Earth Hour, when everyone is asked to turn off lights for an hour from 8.30 p.m. local time, is a show of support for tougher action to confront climate change. Viaduct Harbour is seen in the foreground, the Sky Tower at right. Reuters/Nigel Marple

New Zealanders are more likely to be healthier if they live across parks and green spaces. A new study has found that people are less likely to be overweight or obese if their homes are near green open spaces.

Researchers from the University of Canterbury said green spaces promote health and encourage people to engage in physical activities. The study, headed by Professor Simon Kingham, examined private and public parks as well as physical activities of people. Based on the researchers’ study of 12,500 New Zealanders, findings showed that green spaces had influenced the state of their physical and mental health.

Researchers have discovered that planting and creation of parks in public spaces can be low-cost disease prevention alternatives. The study suggests the potential benefit of promoting parks to live healthier lives in urban and deprived areas of the country.

The high prevalence of obesity in New Zealand has led to rising health costs particularly for associated diseases like Type 2 diabetes. The press release states that about 11 percent of children in New Zealand up to the age of 14 are obese while 20 percent are overweight.

In the study, researchers have found links between neighbourhood environment conditions, obesity and related characteristics among adults in New Zealand. Kingham, head of the spatial GeoHealth laboratory, said there is a growing awareness of the role environmental factors play in fighting obesity and promoting a healthy lifestyle.

Researchers said less access to parks is associated with the increased chances of being overweight or obese. They also observed that people with more access to green space are more involved in walking, according to New Zealand Doctor Online.

Aside from activity levels, researchers also noted that people in rural areas had high consumption of fruits and vegetables and met recommended levels than those in the cities. The new study may be the first of its kind to examine the potential role of the environment in relation to obesity using additional data from the U.S., Australia, Canada and Europe.

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