If you are over-weight then maybe you should take a look around, after all according to a new study conducted in Melbourne, Australia where you live may have a bearing on your weight. If you are residing in a locality, abuzz with fast-food joints it may seem like heaven to you but it may not feel the same for your body. Since long, it has been emphasized that our lifestyle is the most crucial factor governing our health and what we eat and how much we exercise may determine our well-being. These factors in turn are influenced by where we live.
The study conducted on 5000 individuals at the University of Melbourne and funded by VicHealth observed that a person’s physical routine, alcohol intake as well as food-procuring and consumption patterns were influenced by where the person resided and this in turn influenced a person’s physiological make-up.
This Victorian Lifestyle and Neighbourhoods Environment Study points out that those living in residential zones having ample fast-food places and lacking appropriate walking tracks were prone to weight gain owing to an unhealthy way of living. This particularly holds true for people dwelling in the low socio-economic zones.
According to this study, people inhabiting the low socio-economic zones of Melbourne were more likely to follow a diet lacking in nutritional foods like fruits and vegetables as their purchasing power was restricted by their low incomes. Hardly any physical activity coupled with a likelihood of high body mass index (BMI) and an increased consumption of alcohol by people were together responsible for turning the low-socio economic zones to “not so healthy” residential areas. The number of fast-food restaurants was more in low socio-economic zones as compared to high socio-economic zone.
The key to keeping fit is identifying the factors that are of significance to your health and making changes in your lifestyle that are within your means. So next time do not let your weight be the address to your home for people.
Image: Farm1
Via: TheAge