People Living Near Subway Stations Less Likely to Be Obese, Study Shows

Living environment affects obesity levels, a study shows. The Seoul Institute surveyed 90,000 residents of Seoul to study the relationship between the two.

Advertisement

The study found that the closer people live to subway stations and the more fitness facilities there are around their homes, the lower their risk of obesity.

"When people have easy access to fitness facilities or subway stations, they use them often and engage in more physical activity", a researcher at the institute said.

Substantiating the findings, an official at a public health center in the capital said, "People living near the Han River Park or other big parks are actually much less obese". 

People living in areas with better road transport infrastructure are at greater risk of obesity as they drive more and do less physical activity.

Also, the more fast food restaurants a neighborhood has and the farther it is from markets, the more likely its residents are to be overweight.

"People who have easy access to high-calorie food and poor access to fresh food were at higher risk of obesity", the institute said.