Green Space and Adult Obesity Prevalence in the United States

Natural amenities like green open space are a valuable resource to support quality of life and public health. However, limited studies have analyzed the relationship between such resources and specific indicators of public health. We investigate the relationship between natural green space and publicly managed recreation lands and adult obesity prevalence in United States counties. We find that counties with larger percentage of green spaces and those with access to public open space, such as state and national parks do have significantly fewer numbers of obese people.