Living in view of park "reduces for chocolate, alcohol cravings"

PanARMENIAN.Net - Living somewhere with a view of a park or garden could reduce your cravings for chocolate, cigarettes or alcohol, a study has found, according to the Mail Online.

Researchers claim being surrounded by green space leads to people having fewer negative feelings and therefore less of a tendency to reach for unhealthy treats.

Exposure to nature even in small amounts has been shown to improve general wellbeing.

And the researchers said this could help understand the causes of cravings and therefore improve insight into diseases caused by excess, such as obesity and diabetes.

The study, led by the University of Plymouth, asked 149 participants to complete an online survey about where they lived and their guilty pleasures.

Participants selected items for which they regularly experienced cravings – most people said food (38 per cent) or chocolate (32 per cent).

Addictive items were also an often-reported choice, with caffeine topping 16 per cent of people's lists, nicotine five per cent and alcohol nine per cent.

Among other things, the study measured the proportion of green space in each participant's neighbourhood, the amount of greenery they could see from their home, their access to a garden or allotment and how often they went to a public green space like a park.