The prevailing wisdom for much of modern history has been that city living is bad for your health. We’ve all heard it: Why would you choose to live in a noisy, crowded, urban environment when you could stretch out in the suburbs with all the extra space. While there are positives to the suburban lifestyle, it might not be as good as you think.
A study by the University of Oxford and the University of Hong Kong found that rates of obesity were lower in places where population is denser i.e. cities, compared to their lower density counterparts in the suburbs. In addition, the higher density folks had higher levels of socializing with others than those in the suburbs.
City folk tend to walk more often due to the proximity of places in urban areas. Most of your daily destinations are within walking distance, something that cannot be said about the suburbs. This increase in physical activity leads to lower rates of obesity in areas with higher population density, i.e. cities. Suburbia has the disadvantage of urban sprawl where the proximity of places forces people to drive more often.
Based upon the findings from the study, the effects of urban living isn’t as harmful as the consensus would have you believe. For more details on how living in a city can be part of a healthy lifestyle, check out the infographic below!