ANN ARBOR, Mich., Jan. 3 (UPI) -- A University of Michigan study says children living in areas considered unsafe risk being overweight four times more than those in safe areas.
The study, published in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, says more attention should be paid to the impact of surroundings on children's health, reports the BBC.
The study looked at data from 768 children and their families who had taken part in thee National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development.
The researchers, led by Dr. Julie Lumeng, wrote in the journal: "In effect, there may well be a relatively simple and straightforward relationship between living in a dangerous neighborhood and overweight ... In attempting to protect their children from harm, parents not only decrease the kind of physical activity that comes from playing outdoors in the neighborhood but inadvertently increase the likelihood of sedentary activity that comes from staying indoors."
