US scientists warn of out-of-town health hazard
Patrick Barkham Tuesday September 28, 2004 The Guardian
With their lush green hedges, sturdy semis and well-tended gardens, the suburbs have long been seen as a sanctuary from the stresses of city living. Not any more.
Twitch back the lace curtains and, far from a good life, you'll find that living in the "burbs" can lead to a range of chronic illnesses including high blood pressure, arthritis, diabetes and migraines, according to new research.
Scientists writing in the journal Public Health even found that the strain of life in suburbia could leave residents prematurely aged, compared with city dwellers.
The study by the Rand Corporation, an American thinktank, discovered that the health profile of an adult with a home in the spacious suburbs of Atlanta was the same as someone who lived in inner-city Seattle but was four years older.
Roll back the garage doors and you'll find the reason for the suburban malaise, according to the scientists.
Studies have found that inhabitants of sprawling suburbs are dependent on their cars and so walk less, weigh more and suffer from higher blood pressure than their city cousins.
"We know from previous studies that suburban sprawl reduces the time people spend walking and increases the time they spend sitting in cars, and that is associated with higher obesity rates," said Roland Sturm, an economist who helped write the study of more than 8,600 people in 38 metropolitan areas across America.
"This probably plays an important role in the health effects we observe." ...
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,1314265,00.html>
Carl