Suburban sprawl blamed for US obesity

BostonGlobe.com ^ | June 20, 2003

[Sweet_Sunflower29]

Researchers presented more evidence yesterday blaming spread-out suburban development for America's obesity epidemic and for a variety of other public and mental health woes, allowing antisprawl activists to argue that new, compact forms of development would be better for the environment and also healthier for individuals.

[Sweet_Sunflower29]

Saying that obesity is often also the end result of lazy individuals who typically sit on their @$$ all day, Suburban culture nonwithstanding, would have been just too simple, I suppose.

[egarvue]

Of course not; if it were that simple, these "researchers" couldn't justify they grant money they are receiving to "research" this problem.

[Semper Paratus]

Makes as much sense as blaming Global Warming for obesity.

[dfwgator]

Plenty of fat people live downtown too.

[Lijahsbubbe]

Baloney. Many suburban developments have beautiful walking and biking paths. If nothing else, I could see inner-city people being hampered from walking due to fear of crime.

[netmilsmom]

I think I need to sue someone to get a membership at Lifetime Fitness!! I live to far from the city and I am a victim of urban sprawl. Or at least my butt is. /sarcasm off/

[1Old Pro]

Lawrence Frank, a professor at the University of British Columbia

1) How did I know this study was taxpayer funded?
2) How did I know the researcher was a socialist utopian?

[dfwgator]

They should come to my surburb, the sidewalks are jammed with people jogging, or walking their kids or dogs.

[discostu]

People in suburbs have yards, this gives them more opportunity to be active as they don't have to go anywhere. Therefore it's the dense city populations that are increasing national obesity.

Psuedo-science is fun. We can all make crackpot theories. And we don't even need backing facts.

[goodnesswins]

Aren't there more Television's per capita in suburbia? I guess I should skip my morning power walk....it's suburbia where I live, after all. (Walking downtown with all the crosswalks, lights, etc....is impossible, you idgits!!!)

[VoiceOfBruck]

Suburban sprawl blamed for US obesity

I thought it was the other way around!

[goodnesswins]

I love it...your "butt" is a "victim".....LOL.

[dfwgator]

Yeah it makes much more sense to live downtown, and never go and walk, because of the fact that you are much more likely to get mugged.

[Wolfie]

I've got this crazy idea that, bear with me now, obesity is caused by over-eating and under-excersizing. Wacky, I know.

[goodnesswins]

YOU are exercising your BRAIN too much!!!

[DonQ]

Instead of the surburbs - I know plenty of thin suburbanites who enjoy working their gardens or jogging - how about (1) the rise of the large refrigerator and the supermarket, enabling people to keep a very considerable amount of food in the house at all times, (2) the rise of sedentary amusements - first radio and then TV and now the internet, and (3) the increasing number of sedentary vocations and the people who are in them.

[Sam Cree]

Well, I have to admit that when I visited Manhatten a couple years ago and jogged in Central Park, I was stunned by the large numbers of in shape girls and ladies jogging in there. I couln't figure out where they came from, showgirls maybe.

But, to tell you the truth, sugar consumption is probably the key to modern obesity. I read that it was about 2 pounds per year per person in 1900, but is estimated at 150 pounds per year per person today.

[Alberta's Child]

They missed a key point in this study -- suburban sprawl is a major contributor to obesity, but not just for the reasons they give here.

Someone who commutes an hour and a half each way to and from work not only spends three hours sitting in his car, but he has little time to engage in any physical activity when he gets home at night.

[ffusco]

Lifestyle does have some factor- When I lived in NYC I typically walked a few miles every day, You walk to the subway, walk to the office, walk in the park, walk past a fruit stand or a pizza parlor, grab some food and keep walking.

Here in Houston, I drive everywhere (unless I'm walking my dog) and eat fast food via drive thru.

I know most Americans are anti-urban and prefer to live in a bedroom community where everyone and everything is homogeneous- truly sad.

[beachn4fun]

I think it has more to do with "keeping their mouths shut"