Diabetes Risk Reduced

Living in healthy neighborhoods may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by 38 percent, according to a report published in the October 12 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine. Researchers from the Drexel University School of Public Health determined the health of three different neighborhoods by rating their accessibility to fruits and vegetables, whether it was enjoyable to walk in the neighborhood, and other criteria conducive to a healthy lifestyle. They followed 2,285 people in these neighborhoods for five years and found that areas with healthier environmental features had a 38 percent lower incidence of type 2 diabetes. The report concluded that improving these factors through public policy could successfully combat the diabetes epidemic in the US.