People living close to trees and green spaces are less likely to be obese or dependent on anti-depressants according to a new report by the Institute for European Environmental Policy. In the most wide-ranging study yet into the interaction of nature and health and wellbeing, a team of eleven researchers spent a year reviewing more than 200 studies before researching their conclusions.
The evidence is clear that having access to and spending time in nature on a regular basis is inextricably linked to good health. Previous research done in the US found that hospital patients with views of trees from their window were discharged a day earlier than those whose room faced walls. A study done in Canada found that 10 extra trees on a city block was associated with an extra $10,000 in annual income.
