Apr 17, 2022 09:00:00

Researchers claiming that the environment in which people live affects obesity devises an index that indicates the health of the living environment

Recent studies have shown that the living environment

affects health and mental health, and the risk of obesity and diabetes is also affected to some extent by the living environment. Therefore, a research team at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand has devised an index called the 'Healthy Location Index (HLI)' to investigate how the living environment affects public health.

The good, the bad, and the environment: developing an area-based measure of access to health-promoting and health-constraining environments in New Zealand
https://ij-healthgeographics.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12942-021-00269-x

Our cities are making us fat and unhealthy – a'healthy location index' can help us plan better
https://theconversation.com/our-cities-are-making-us-fat-and-unhealthy-a-healthy-location-index-can-help-us-plan-better-179763

New Zealand is one of the world's leading obese countries , with 2021 data reporting 34.3% of adults and about 12.7% of children aged 2-14 years being obese, a significant increase over the previous year. These data also show that adults living in the most socio-economically disadvantaged areas have an obesity rate 1.6 times higher than adults living in the most disadvantaged areas.

Obesity is a major public health concern, with approximately 5% of annual deaths worldwide dying from obesity, with an economic negative impact of approximately $ 2 trillion. (PDF file) Estimated . These health problems are often thought of as 'individual responsibility,' but according to Matthew Hobbs, senior lecturer at the Department of Public Health at Canterbury University, the idea of self-responsibility for obesity is the medical system, government, and physics. It is said that it will look away from the problem of the public environment.

Hobbs and colleagues say that the global increase in obesity since the 1980s cannot be explained by genetic or biological factors alone, making it easier to choose energy-dense, nutritious foods and unhealthy behaviors. It may be. 'Think about it. It takes a lot of effort to stay healthy in a modern environment,' he said. If there is a fast food store or liquor store in a convenient location, it's difficult to avoid it, by bicycle instead of car. He points out that it is hard to move, arguing that healthy options are often more difficult than unhealthy options.

Hobbes and colleagues argued that this situation needed to change, and devised an index called the 'Healthy Location Index (HLI).' At HLI, 'health control facilities' consisting of fast food stores, take-out stores, convenience stores, liquor stores, and gambling venues, and 'promoting health' consisting of green areas, waterfronts, exercise facilities, fruit and vegetable stores, and supermarkets. From the data quantifying access to 'facility', 'how good the place is for health' will be ranked by region.

The figure below is a mapping of the three cities of '

Auckland ', ' Wellington ', and ' Christchurch ' from the upper left based on HLI, and the pink and purple areas are healthier. The worse it is, the closer it is to green, the better the health. Wellington has many healthy areas, Oakland has a relatively good balance between good and bad areas, and Christchurch tends to have many unhealthy areas.

Hobbs and colleagues say that in the most socio-economically disadvantaged areas, access to health-controlled facilities is about half that of the most socio-economically-favored areas, with gambling and taverns in some areas. Pointed out that is increasing excessively. 'The big picture created by HLI supports

the evidence to emphasize that health-impairing facilities such as fast-food outlets and liquor stores are disproportionately predominant in socio-economically disadvantaged areas,' he said. increase.

Hobbs et al. Argue that the phenomenon in which facilities differ due to socio-economic differences in each region is 'environmental injustice' caused by the implementation and enforcement, development, regulation, and policy inequality of environmental laws. Past studies have shown that living in an environment with easy access to health-control facilities has a negative impact on physical and mental health, and environmental injustice is a problem.

Hobbes and colleagues said, 'We have to ask if we really need additional fast food and liquor stores in the same area. Policy makers will regulate and add appropriate facilities. We hope that this index will help in considering how to form a healthier city. After all, the protection and promotion of public health is the core responsibility of the government, such as Change should not be left to individuals, families or communities, 'he said, arguing that government-led measures are needed.