Urbanization and real estate growth have caused many green spaces to disappear and cities, which were once the children's play area, have become areas not adapted for them.
Some neighborhoods, for thinking a little more about children, have a greater number of parks and green areas and it has been shown that Children who live in these neighborhoods do not gain as much weight in time as those who live in areas with less green spaces.
A team from the University of Washington, in Seattle, studied over 3 consecutive years more than 3,800 children, aged 3 to 16, from low-income families and mainly African-Americans. "We measured their weight and height two years apart and related that data with satellite images of those children's neighborhoods and found that the boys who lived in neighborhoods with more green spaces had a better body weight than those in neighborhoods with less green environment ", explained Janice F. Bell, director of the study.
In the case of physical activity, it is clear that green spaces are very important for them. Have areas to run, where to play, where to invent, where to explore. In short, children they need places where they can be children and act like children, who do too little today.
Advertising"Green spaces should be the objective of environmental approaches to prevent obesity", the team suggested in the article published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
The positive effects of these spaces on children's health include better mental functioning and fewer symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
I am lucky to have three parks relatively close to home and we often go to them. Some are not too prepared and have very few swings for many children.
Stop to think a little about the neighborhood you live in and assess whether it is a neighborhood designed for children to live or if they have forgotten them. More than one / you will sadly realize that there are not too many public resources for them that, as the study says, require them to do the sport and the game they need so much.
