Your Neighborhood Is Making You Lazy
September 6, 2008 by Kelly Turner
Filed under Fitness
A new study reports that the age of your neighborhood has a direct correllation to the size of your neighbors. Researchers have found that inhabitants of neighborhoods built before 1950 are more slender than those who live in more modern neighborhoods.
“The older neighborhoods had a reduced level of obesity because they were generally built with the pedestrian in mind and not cars,” said Ken Smith, a co-author of the study and professor in the department of family and consumer studies at the University of Utah. “This means they have trees, sidewalks and offer a pleasant environment in which to walk.”
The older neighborhoods tend to have more businesses in walking distance, which makes cars unneccessary. More modern neighborhoods are packed tight with housing, making any businesses and recreational activities a car drive away.
I got to thinking about this and its completely true for me. I don’t know when my neighborhood was built, but Im surrounded by houses is every direction. If I want to walk to the store for some milk its a walk. Most of the time this leads to the “should I walk, or should I drive?” debate and for most errands, it ends up being a drive.
Conversely, I have a friend that goes to NYU, and anytime she tells story or talks about a place, the distance is measured in city blocks. The city, especially for a young college student, is just not designed for driving. Its expensive and inconvenient. She walks everywhere, and even for the places too far, she walks to the subway to catch a ride. She’s even told me that she drops weight at the beginning of each year from all the walking.
(FUN FACT: She also used to nanny for Annie Leibovitz)
Same with my friends who go to the University of Washington. The campus is spread throughout the city, so most walk from home to class, and then to the next class.
So what do you think? I find most errands unwalkable in my town, but on the other hand, West Seattle is known as one of the most active cities around. You can’t throw a rock without hitting a biker, walker, runner, rollerblader, weird 3 wheel reclined bike thing operator. Perhaps I just need to find vehicle powered by me.
If only my dog was big enough to ride.
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I’m not surprised at this study! I tend to be drawn towards older neighborhoods myself, and do most of my errands on foot. It really is an efficient way to get lots of extra exercise.
The downside–most of the neighborhoods I’ve lived in have been expensive. You fork over more $$ and get a lot less square footage and amenities in a cute, safe, walkable urban area.
I think this study is right on. When I lived in NYC I walked everywhere. Didn’t even have a car and never thought twice about walking an hour to get somewhere. Now that I am back in the ‘burbs with a car I have to go out of my way to get those walks in. There aren’t even sidewalks in front of my house!
Heather
I like in a driving city and this makes perfect sense. I like in one of the more urban parts of town so we can walk to restaurants and bars, but that’s about it.
HOWEVER, and not to downplay the research, your friend was Annie Leibovitz’s nanny?!!!
I wish DSM and the DSM metro area were more walkable. I’ve always been secretly jealous of people who live in “walkable” cities.. although I hate crowds and get getting stuck behind slow people, I would LOVE to live in a more walkable city. Maybe some day…
I live right in the center of the city and in one of the older neighborhoods and have definitely found this to be true. There was actually a lot of talk recently about how the people in my area are the ones who get the most exercise. I would go totally nuts living in the suburbs and always needing to rely on cars and such to get around!
i walked pretty much everywhere in boston when i was there for college. i didn’t even like taking the t (subway) unless i had to.
i’m currently in suburbia once again, but the boy and i are actually trying to walk to places now and then. we ran to target to get a run in (walked back) and yesterday, walked to starbucks and back for some coffee.
if i were to get anything more than a light bag of stuff, though … i’d drive. that, and any cold items i’d pick up would not be cold after the 1.5 miles or so back home.
I think San Francisco is the most perfect example of this – lots of sidewalks, great weather, health clubs, fresh fruits and beggies everywhere, hills…and when you go there, practically NOBODY is overweight.