Your weight influences where you choose to live, researchers claim

A study has found overweight women move out of skinny suburbs.

The scales tip towards choosing a neighbourhood that is less “walkable” if you are obese, according to US academics.

The controversial study, published in the International Journal of Obesity, points to body size influencing where you choose to live.

Researchers found food and exercise preferences were a key driver in selecting a shift to a suburb, and less pedestrian-friendly neighbourhoods, with fewer close amenities and reliance on cars, attracted unhealthier residents.

Many studies have been done on whether living in certain postcodes can impact health and wellbeing, including weight, but researchers in Utah sought to find out if the reverse applies.

It looked into whether women of three physical types — obese, overweight and of a healthy weight range — moved into particular neighbourhoods.

The University of Utah collated the housing movements of 34,000 women, between having their first and second child, plus their height and weight, and investigated the relationship between body mass index and suburbs in Salt Lake City.

The suburbs included high-density, “walkable” areas with a diversity of nearby shops and services, and low-density suburbs with fewer amenities and a high reliance of cars. It found overweight and obese women were three times more likely as healthy-weight women to move from “lean” suburbs to “heavier” neighbourhoods with a higher average body mass index.

They were also less likely than healthy-weight women to shift from heavier neighbourhoods to lean suburbs with a low average body mass index.Women were selected for the Utah study because their personal particulars could be retrieved from their baby’s birth certificates.

In Australia, the Heart Foundation is calling on the federal government to develop a funded physical activity action plan that prioritises walking, cycling and public transport.

Physical inactivity contributes to almost one-quarter of cardiovascular disease in Australia, and is a critical factor in the obesity epidemic, according to the foundation.

More than half of all Australian adults are overweight or obese.

Heart Foundation Victoria Healthy Living Manager Roni Beauchamp said obesity was a complex issue, and cardio health was important, irrespective of weight.

Ms Beauchamp said the Heart Foundation provided resources to Australian town planners and developers on designing suburbs that encourage residents to walk more, to achieve the minimum recommended 30 minutes of physical activity a day.

“We know that people are struggling a lot these days to do that,” Ms Beauchamp said, adding that areas in which residents feel safe to walk, with people to meet along the way, promoted day-to-day exercise.

“We are strongly advocating government to think about public transport infrastructure, and that walking and cycling paths are in place early when we create new suburbs.

“The health of the community needs to be a consideration when approving town planning.”

A healthy neighbourhood has homes close to schools, shops and jobs, and well connected by paths and has open green areas, the foundation said.

Website Walk Score, which is based in the US but ranks Australian cities, provides a summary of how “walkable” a postcode is.

Criteria includes whether residents can avoid using a car daily errands and proximity to public transport.

Melbourne’s most walkable suburbs include Fitzroy, South Yarra and St Kilda, which pull high median house prices of $1.1 million to $1.7 million, according to Domain Group data.

In Sydney, among the most walkable neighbourhoods are Ultimo, The Rocks and Surry Hills, where house medians hover above $1.5 million.

Ms Beauchamp said socio economic factors more directly influence where people choose to live.

What makes a Australian suburb “walkable”?

• A well-connected street network that creates plenty of pedestrian routes;
• A variety of shops and services, including supermarkets and medical centres, to encourage day-to-day walking for errands;
• Cafes, restaurants and bars in close proximity;
• Limited traffic as busy roads deter people from walking, especially those with children;
• Parks are good for mental health and exercise, but too much public open space can reduce walkability because there are a lack of alternative destinations;
• Higher-density have the population to support a variety of shops and services;
• Good public transport so residents are less reliant on a car.