Higher Altitudes May Reduce The Risk Of Obesity

New findings presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Prague suggest that moving into the mountains may help you lose weight.

For the study, researchers looked at 9,300 healthy Spanish university graduates, none of whom were overweight or obese at the start of a study.

During the study, researchers divided them into three groups based on the altitude of their homes, including the following ranges, courtesy of a news release: below 407 feet (low), 407 to 1496 feet (medium) and above 1496 feet (high).

Findings revealed that close to 2,100 participants became overweight or obese over a median follow-up of 8.5 years; this was after accounting for certain confounding factors that included diet, physical activity and lifestyle research. Furthermore, researchers found that those who lived at high altitudes were 13 percent less likely to become overweight or obese when compared to those who lived at low altitudes.

"While it might not be realistic to expect everyone to move further uphill to reduce obesity levels, it is encouraging to see this effect occurred at only [about 1,500 feet] altitude," the researchers added.

Due to lower concentrations of oxygen from the air that may help suppress hunger, researchers believe that this can reduce obesity risk.