Walkable neighbourhoods dramatically lower odds of obesity: research

VANCOUVER – Metro Vancouver residents living in the region’s most walkable neighbourhoods are about a third less likely to be overweight or obese than those living in the region’s more car-dependent areas.

Those findings come out of a study conducted by researcher Salman Klar of the Fraser Health Authority and presented at this week’s World Diabetes Congress in Vancouver.

Klar says living in walkable areas significantly lowers the odds of being obese, which is a major risk factor for Type 2 diabetes.

Klar’s research explores the relationship between body mass index and neighbourhood walkability.

Dr. Jat Sandhu of Vancouver Coastal Health says municipal planners would do well to keep these findings in mind when designing healthy neighbourhoods.

Data for the study came from a self-reported survey conducted primarily online between 2013 and 2014, which targeted British Columbians aged 18 and older.