[caption id="attachment_4232" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Vickie Webb poses for a photograph at her apartment in Durham, N.C., Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2011. Webb, 43, lived in the projects in Durham, N.C. for several years before a housing agency helped relocate her and her husband to a better neighborhood. According to a study released Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2011, poor women in big city public housing a chance to live in more affluent neighborhoods. had lower rates of diabetes and extreme obesity. Webb was not part of the study. (AP Photo/Jim R. Bounds) Source: AP - Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. "][/caption]

Low-income moms who move from very poor neighborhoods to less disadvantaged ones lower their risk of becoming extremely obese and developing type 2 diabetes, a study reveals.

"This research shows how important the environment can be for people's health," says the study's lead author, Jens Ludwig, a professor of social service administration, law and public policy at the