Poor Urban Planning Makes Children Fat
I have just been reading around a few blogs, forums and university studies on the subject of the much reported obesity epidemic. I was particularly struck by this post: Outdoor Play Facilities Urgently Needed and the warnings presented by Professor Dick Jackson that poor urban planning is a root cause of todays problems. And they are going to get worse!
I was prompted to carry out a small, unscientific survey of my students in class this afternoon. Of the 12 students who actually turned up today only 5 were actually brought up in the U.K. I asked them all if they had grown up with adequate outdoor play facilities and what they thought were the causes of todays obesity problems. Their responses were as follows:
- All of them stated that they had seen council run parks and play areas become run down and underused
- They all indicated that they would love make use of facilities if they were readily accessible
- They pretty much agreed that urban planning did make a significant difference to the amount of exercise and outdoor play that they experienced as children
- There was agreement that other technological and social factors are also contributing towards the currently expanding waist lines of our younger generation.
When asked ‘What would have encouraged you to play outdoors more’ they all said that safe, available space was the biggest and most significant factor. Several had grown up in flats with no gardens to themselves. They were reliant upon communal outdoor space and if their parents (or single parent) were anxious about them ‘playing out’ they would be kept indoors.
Providing an environment in which young people can grow, learn, interact and develop lifelong healthy habits is a responsibility that the older, decision-making, urban planning generation need to take very seriously.
