Are planners responsible for America's obesity epidemic? (schools, issues, major)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Didn't bother to read the article, but my instant reaction to the question would be to say "no". It's too deeply rooted of an issue with multiple causes. However our default setting to drive everywhere doesn't help.
You are starting to see obesity epidemics in developing nations, which are laid out in a much more pedestrian-friendly manner. Overall I think it has more to do with what we are eating than how much we are walking - because even when I do a ton of walking, if I eat like total crap then I am still going to gain weight.
Currently 35.7 percent of American adults and 16.9 percent of children ages 2 to 19 are obese (defined as a body mass index over 30).
If trends do not change, by 2030 the obesity rate for adults could top 44 percent nationally. In addition, rates could exceed 50 percent in 39 states and 60 percent in 13 states.
Didn't bother to read the article, but my instant reaction to the question would be to say "no".
The research indicate otherwise. The UC researchers found physical activity levels of kids in the walkable 'smart growth' neighborhoods to be 46% higher than in the autocentric sprawl neighborhoods.
Quote:
Originally Posted by munchitup
It's too deeply rooted of an issue with multiple causes. However our default setting to drive everywhere doesn't help.
Agreed.
Quote:
Originally Posted by munchitup
You are starting to see obesity epidemics in developing nations, which are laid out in a much more pedestrian-friendly manner.
Interesting. Which ones would those be? There may be individual cases of obesity in developing countries but those tend to be rare. I have never heard of it being an actual epidemic anywhere except in US and Canada.
Quote:
Originally Posted by munchitup
Overall I think it has more to do with what we are eating than how much we are walking - because even when I do a ton of walking, if I eat like total crap then I am still going to gain weight.
Are you saying exercise has no significant effect on your weight/health? Wow. Where do you get that idea?
Last edited by cisco kid; 10-07-2013 at 04:30 PM..
Having lived in several countries, the amount of walking and its impact to people's weight are far over stated, as well as it should be as diet is the reason for obesity (aside medical issues of course). The US has been a car centered society for quite some time, long before obesity became the issue it is today.
This is a gross oversimplification. Being overwieght or obese results when you take in more calories than your body burns through exercise. That's just common sense.
Having lived in several countries, the amount of walking and its impact to people's weight are far over stated, as well as it should be as diet is the reason for obesity (aside medical issues of course). The US has been a car centered society for quite some time, long before obesity became the issue it is today.
See the article above on the causes of obesity to see why this is false. Europeans walk three times more than Americans--and they are not obese. Unless you have a credible study to refute the Harvard School of Public Health and every other major medical school in the western world, then there is absolutely a direct correlation between diet weight and exercise, or lack of exercise.
The research indicate otherwise. The UC researchers found physical activity levels of kids in the walkable 'smart growth' neighborhoods to be 46% higher than in the autocentric sprawl neighborhoods.
Agreed.
Interesting. Which ones would those be? There may be individual cases of obesity in developing countries but those tend to be rare. I have never heard of it being an actual epidemic anywhere except in US and Canada.
Are you saying exercise has no significant effect on your weight/health? Wow. Where do you get that idea?
I believe there was an article in the Economist about the growing obesity epidemic in Mexico.
And that study shows that the kids are more active, but does that show that they are less obese? I think car-centric / sedentary lifestyles are certainly one of the major causes for obesity. However it is more about mindset than the built environment - you can certainly do a lot of walking in a car-oriented environment (in fact, you'll probably do more walking cause everything is further away!)
This is a gross oversimplification. Being overwieght or obese results when you take in more calories than your body burns through exercise. That's just common sense.
How many calories you think exercising uses? How many calories do you think walking uses? Given that a person is burning right around 100 calories per mile; you think that is ever going to overcome the 4000, 5000 calorie diets people consume? Of course it is not. A person would have to be training at Olympic levels to overcome many of these diets.
By the way, there is not a single thing in that article that refutes what I stated, straight from the article:
"At its most basic, of course, obesity results when someone regularly takes in more calories than needed."
That would be in other words, diet is the primary factor in a person's weight.
Quote:
Originally Posted by cisco kid
See the article above on the causes of obesity to see why this is false. Europeans walk three times more than Americans--and they are not obese. Unless you have a credible study to refute the Harvard School of Public Health and every other major medical school in the western world, then there is absolutely a direct correlation between diet weight and exercise, or lack of exercise.
From the article:
"Americans consume a little under 3700 (3654) calories a
day while Europeans on average eat 3354 calories a day, a
difference of about 300 calories."
And:
"The conclusion? Europeans are thinner than Americans
because they are more active and ----and this is the biggest
contributor --- because they simply eat less. Just cutting
out a few treats in our daily diets and walking more can
close the gap."
Even your own article states the biggest contributor is "because they simply eat less".
Walking is not a caloric intense activity, it just is not no matter how much you wish it to be. The main factor in obesity is diet. A person can walk to the moon and back and still be obese, while a person can sit on the sofa and be thin.
The obesity epidemic has been blamed on everything from High Fructose Corn Syrup to reduced Phys Ed in schools. I suppose there is room for one more culprit.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
