You probably already know that your genes can affect your health. So can the choices you make, such as getting enough exercise and eating healthy food. But did you know that where you live can affect your health, too?
NIH-funded researchers are looking at how the environment around us, from how many trees we can see to how far we have to travel to get fresh food, influences our health.
Green Spaces
Studies show that green spaces, such as parks or woods, seem to affect your health for the better. Dr. Francine Laden, an epidemiologist at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, analyzed data from a huge national study to look at how green space affected people’s lives. She found that those who lived near green spaces were less likely to die over an 8-year period.
National Institutes of Health
Author
A part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, NIH is the largest biomedical research agency in the world.
