Gardening is good for health
In a survey by garden company W. Atlee Burpee on the perceived benefits of gardening, an overwhelming majority reported gardening to be good for managing stress, staying fit and making healthy food choices.
And in apparent agreement with first lady Michelle Obama, 79 percent of the respondents said America's obesity problem could be lessened over time if more people took up vegetable gardening.
In other results, more than three times as many respondents felt vegetable gardening was more beneficial to the environment than driving a hybrid. And almost 94 percent said children who vegetable garden are more likely to eat vegetables.
Here are details from the survey:
- 95 percent of respondents said that having a vegetable garden makes it easier for them to make healthy food choices. Among the reasons: easy access to fresh foods, more affordable than store-bought, better flavor than store-bought.
- 60 percent said they believe some people make unhealthy food choices to cope with stress.
- And 97 percent said they would rather spend 30 minutes a week vegetable gardening than standing in line at a supermarket or ordering takeout.
Comments
You also get the added benefit of being outdoors! It's not just about growing vegetables though; grow flowers too. They make everyone smile.
It'd be great if schools would start teaching agriculture -- get em started early and they'll be lifetime gardeners.
Posted by: Kathryn Martyn Smith, M.NLP | December 31, 2009 3:31 PM
Hi Kathryn,
Derek Fell (www.derekfell.net) and I have created a product called the Skyscraper Garden TM for growing vegetables and flowers vertically and we are working with the Green Educational Foundation who wants to get gardens into 10,000 schools in 2010. The Skyscraper Garden/Derek Fell story has been picked up by the AP and Derek has agreed to design different gardens for the schools to utilize. I think it's great that the Green Education Foundation has taken the initiative to get kids in the garden and I hope they succeed with their goal.
Posted by: Scott Carlson | January 10, 2010 7:15 PM
More people should be gardening, and if this is a solution to America's obesity problem, it should definitely be encouraged.
Posted by: Jeannie | May 26, 2011 7:17 PM