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Leaner in the greener well-trodden suburbs

Busy mums: Anna Rolls and Suzie O'Brien. Picture: Simon Santi/The West Australian

Residents in Perth's leafiest suburbs are less likely to be obese than those in areas with limited green space, according to research examining the link between neighbourhood environments and weight.

The University of WA-led project cross-referenced the body mass index of more than 10,000 adults with satellite imagery showing the "greenness" of the Perth suburbs they lived in.

The odds of obesity were 22 per cent lower for people living in neighbourhoods with high levels of greenness when compared to those with the lowest levels. But the study found suburbs with a mixed land use - for example those with well-connected tree-lined routes which were close to shops or parks - had the lowest obesity rates.

Residents in these areas were 25 per cent less likely to be overweight, which report author and UWA and Yale University researcher Dr Gavin Pereira said suggested that the "absolute" level of greenness was not as important as the variability of the green space.

"The lower prevalence of obesity among adults in greener areas might be attributable to higher levels of physical activity, such as neighbourhood walking, with studies indicating that adults with access to a large high-quality park within walking distance from home are more likely to walk, and tend to do so at recommended levels," Dr Pereira said.

The researchers studied 10,208 adults in three age groups - 16-24, 25-64 and 65 and over - who had completed the WA Health and Wellbeing Survey between 2004 and 2009.

Nineteen per cent were obese and 53 per cent were in the "overweight" category.

Age had little impact on the results, suggesting the effect of living in a leafy neighbourhood lasted throughout adulthood.

The study is the first to examine the relationship between environment and weight throughout adulthood.

First-time mother Suzie O'Bree, 31, goes walking several times a week at Lake Monger Reserve, Kings Park or Yokine Reserve.

Each location was easily accessible from her Tuart Hill home.

"I'm not a fan of running on the street, or crossing the road in traffic, so it's really nice having somewhere like Lake Monger close by," she said.