BMJ  2005;331 (17 September), doi:10.1136/bmj.331.7517.0-c

Do graffiti make you fatter?

Features of residential environments such as graffiti, litter, dog fouling, and greenery are associated with residents' levels of physical activity and fitness. Using the data from the LARES study, which included eight European countries, Ellaway and colleagues (p 611) found that people who live in neighbourhoods that are less pleasant to the eye are less physically active and more obese than those who live in nice looking neighbourhoods. The authors could not argue that the association was causal because of the cross sectional design of the study.

Credit: ANDREW DRYSDALE/REX

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Graffiti, greenery, and obesity in adults: secondary analysis of European cross sectional survey

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Reading research papers like these make me fatter.

Chandrashekar Gangaraju
bmj.com, 20 Sep 2005 [Full text]