There appears to be a relationship between obesity and urban sprawl that works in both directions: suburban life may be making people overweight, and overweight people may tend to choose the suburban life.
Researchers from Oregon State University expanded on previous studies that demonstrated that people dwelling in urban sprawl areas tend to have higher body mass indices. Their analysis suggests an individual's body weight is a factor in determining how desirable a residential location is.
Sprawl Causes Obesity
Previous studies suggested that the relationship between obesity and urban sprawl is connected to environments that discourage routine physical activity. In sprawling areas, distances are often too great to make walking convenient, and the transportation infrastructure is usually designed for automobiles, making walking and bicycling impractical and unsafe. In urban neighborhoods, in contrast, it is often easier to walk than to drive.
The Obese Prefer Sprawl
However, this new study indicates that personal preference, dependent on body weight, is also a factor; People who don't like walking will tend to pick an environment where they do not have to.
These findings have implications for urban planners and public health officials; making communities in which physical activity is more convenient may simply attract people who are likely to engage in physical activity in the first place.
Other factors, such as being female, younger, and married, also increase the probability of someone's choosing to live in a sprawling county.
