By Danielle Rexrode
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

Trying to lose weight? A new study that appeared in the September issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine and on MSNBC found that the year your neighborhood was built may be just as important as diet and exercise for keeping trim.

According to researchers, those who live in neighborhoods built before 1950 are in better shape than those who reside in more modern communities.

“The older neighborhoods had a reduced level of obesity because they were generally built with the pedestrian in mind and not cars,” says Ken Smith, coauthor of the study and professor of family and consumer studies at the University of Utah. “This means they have trees, sidewalks, and offer a pleasant environment in which to walk.”

Researchers found that on average men weighed ten pounds less if they lived in older, more walkable neighborhoods; women weighed about six pounds less.

“The older neighborhoods also tend to have a variety of stores and businesses located within walking distance, so people wind up traveling by foot to do errands, go to local restaurants, or [do] other activities,” says Smith.

Neighborhoods built after 1950, on the other hand, often feature nothing but housing, forcing people to drive ten minutes or more to get to local stores and businesses.

One developer, Erickson Retirement Communities, is bucking the trend and designing communities for active retirees geared toward walking year-round.

“Charlestown and Oak Crest are designed with many of the positive aspects of communities built in the ‘40s and ‘50s,” says Charlestown Director of Sales and Marketing Don Grove. “All of our apartment homes are within walking distance of what we like to call ‘Main Street.’ There you’ll find all of the conveniences of a small town. You can do your banking or shopping, get a haircut, grab a coffee or a bite to eat at the café, pick up a book from library— everything without hopping in and out of your car.”