Children without garden access are more likely to be obese

Children who grow up without access to a garden are more likely to be obese by the age of seven, according to new research.

The survey, carried out by the VU University Medical Centre in Holland, found that those aged three to five who have no gardens to play in are nearly two fifths more likely to be overweight or obese by the age of seven.

Maureen Talbot, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said: “We know that participation in physical activity at recommended levels, be that at home, school or in a local park, is essential to improving our children’s heart health and preventing future heart and circulatory diseases.

“Many children and young people in the UK are not achieving the recommended target of 60 minutes activity each day and nearly a third of all children in the UK are obese or overweight.

“The Government must do more to encourage our young people to get active to safeguard their future health.”

The survey was conducted on 6,467 children aged nine months, three years, five years and seven years. The children were part of the Millennium Cohort Study - a national representative study of around 19,000 children born in the UK between 2000-2001.

The research looked at the impact of environment on young children between the ages of three and five and the risk they will become obese by the age of seven.

Computer modelling was used to calculate any associations between becoming overweight or obese and determinants such as the amount of green space in the neighbourhood, having access to a garden and the condition of the neighbourhood.

Other factors such as food consumption, physical activity, rules, education, housing tenure and poverty were evaluated.

After adjusting for parental influences and socio-economic factors, the study found that no access to a garden for lower educated households increased the odds of children becoming overweight or obese at seven years by 38 per cent.

There was also a 38 per cent increased risk of a child becoming overweight or obese at seven years for children of higher educated households living in disadvantaged neighbourhoods.

The World Health Organization (WHO) regards childhood obesity as one of the most serious global public health challenges for the 21st century. Obese children and adolescents are at an increased risk of developing various health problems, including Type 2 Diabetes and are also more likely to become obese adults.

Bupa UK has revealed that the number of overweight children has more than tripled in England over the past 25 years. Almost one in ten children starting school are obese, amounting to over 60,000 children in 2013-2014.

Commenting on the research findings, Annemarie Schalkwijk from VU University Medical Centre, said: “We showed that limits on access to outdoor space is associated with future childhood obesity although moderated by education level. More research is needed to see how we can deploy these findings in preventing Type 2 diabetes.

“Not having access to a garden at age three to five years for lower educated households increased childhood obesity at age seven years. Also the combination of a more disadvantaged neighbourhood and higher education increased childhood obesity.”