Kids living in “close-knit” U.S. neighborhoods, where they are watched over by supportive adults who actively work to positively mold their behavior, have a 50 percent better chance of avoiding obesity than other children, according to a new study by the RAND Corporation think tank. [abstract]

“There is an obesity epidemic in this country and treatment has focused on diet and exercise with relatively little success,” said Dr. Deborah Cohen, a RAND Health researcher in a RAND press release. “These findings suggest that providing more social support to children at the neighborhood level, which was more common in the past, is a potentially successful strategy for reducing the incidence of obesity in young people in the future.”

In the study of 3,000 households, RAND researchers identified the following characteristics of such nurturing, close-knit and apparently low-fat communities: adults who children look up to; people willing to help neighbors; neighbors who get along; adults who watch out to see that children are safe; neighbors who share the same values; adults who will take action if they see a child hanging out; adults who will do something if a youngster is defacing property with graffiti; and people who will scold a child showing disrespect.

Put down the chips and good night, John Boy.

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