Suburban sprawl may create heavier kids

NEW YORK – U.S. children who live in expansive suburbs may start to pay for it with expansive waistlines, new research suggests.

Using data from a national health survey, researchers found that teenagers living in sprawling suburbs were more than twice as likely to be overweight as teens in more compact urban areas.

The findings echo those of a 2003 study by the same researchers that focused on U.S. adults. The researchers believe the same factors may be driving the link between suburban living and teenagers’ weight — the major one being reliance on cars.

“In a sprawling suburb, you can do very little on foot,” said lead study author Dr. Reid Ewing of the University of Maryland’s National Center for Smart Growth Education and Research.

Reuters