Go for green

The secret is out, women who live in less than 300 metres from green space are less likely to be overweight or obese than men because of the increasing levels of physical activity, researchers in Spain have found.

The study found a strong association between overweight or obesity in women and lack of access to urban green spaces, such as parks and gardens. However, no such association was found in men.

“This study highlights the important role played by green space in the risk of excess weight and obesity in Spanish women. Understanding the mechanisms that explain this association is crucial to plan effective and successful public health interventions,” said study researcher Manolis Kogevinas from Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal). According to the World Health Organisation, in 2016 more than 1.9 billion adults were overweight. Of these, more than 650 million were obese—a preventable condition. —IANS