The Centers for Disease Control issued 24 recommendations last week that communities could employ to beat one of the nation's biggest health crises — obesity.
In one instance in the report, the CDC suggested that communities build bike lanes and shared paths to encourage folks to get out on their bicycles.
Here's the report's recommendation No. 17 regarding bicycling:
Communities Should Enhance Infrastructure Supporting Bicycling
Overview
Enhancing infrastructure supporting bicycling includes creating bike lanes, shared-use paths, and routes on existing and new roads; and providing bike racks in the vicinity of commercial and other public spaces. Improving bicycling infrastructure can be effective in increasing frequency of cycling for utilitarian purposes (e.g., commuting to work and school, bicycling for errands). Research demonstrates a strong association between bicycling infrastructure and frequency of bicycling.
The CDC asserts that studies show “improving bicycle infrastructure is associated with increased frequency of bicycling.” In other words, build it and and they will come.
The health agency also recommended communities should promote more mixed-used development that would enable residents to walk or bike to work or shopping in their neighborhoods.
Categories
The report, “Recommended Community Strategies and Measurements to Prevent Obesity in the US,” split its 24 recommendations into six categories.
Improving bicycle infrastructure was included in “Strategies to Create Safe Communities That Support Physical Activity.” Other such recommendations included more access to outdoor recreation, more sidewalks, schools within easy walking distance of residential areas, and improved access to public transportation.
Other strategies involve promoting access to healthy food and beverages, restricting availability of less healthy foods, encourage breast feeding, and encourage physical acitivity of youth.
Obesity epidemic
The CDC reports that nearly two-thirds of adults and one-fifth of children are obese or overweight. For adults, that's doubled since 1980. It seems unbelievable until you stand and watch people who pass by.
Here's a link to an obesity calculator, or body mass index. It will tell you if you're considered underweight, normal, overweight or obese.
The CDC says obese or overweight increases the chances of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, some cancers, and stroke. The causes:
Environmental factors (including lack of access to full-service grocery stores, increasing costs of healthy foods and the lower cost of unhealthy foods, and lack of access to safe places to play and exercise) all contribute to the increase in obesity rates by inhibiting or preventing healthy eating and active living behaviors.
The Wall Street Journal reports that estimated annual medical costs associated with obesity doubled to $147 billion in 2008 over 1998. Further, obese people incurred 42% more in medical expenditures than their average weight cohorts.
It's all just another case that shows the many ways that bicycling can improve the lives of individuals and communities. It's a shame that so many states put so little stimulus money into bike lanes, paths and other infrastructure.
Thanks to Jack Painter for alerting me to this story.
Photo above on Bellevue, Washington, bike path on Thanksgiving 2008.
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