According to a recent look at the problem by Forbes Magazine, the answer is yes, sprawl is a contributing factor. According to the article (America's Most Sedentary Cities, October 29, 2007, Rebecca Ruiz) bad eating habits, a lack of exercise and sloth lead to obesity and this in turn leads to chronic illnesses, including heart disease, diabetes and some cancers. So using a criteria of body mass index, TV watching habits and physical inactivity, Forbes looked at America's 50 largest metropolitan areas and found the most sedentary cities as follows:
1. Memphis
2. New Orleans
3. Las Vegas
4. Detroit
5. Birmingham
6. Louisville
7. San Antonio
8. Jacksonville
9. Nashville
10. Miami
11. Houston
12. Tampa
13. San Diego
14. Pittsburgh
15. Oklahoma City
16. Indianapolis
17. Atlanta
18. Richmond
19. Cleveland
20. Philadelphia
Seven cities couldn't be ranked because of a lack of available data. The lowest or best ranking went to San Francisco coming in at #43. According to their findings "While obvious trends plague most cities - sprawl was mentioned consistently - although it also become clear that each city battles very specific problems."
"We have heavily invested in a sedentary, sprawling lifestyle" says Tom Jones, a Memphis-based consultant for Smart City Consulting. Jones' former colleague, Carol Coletta, president of the non-profit organization CEOs for Cities, also points out that the economically bifurcated population, lack of transit options, unwalkable neighborhoods and favored Southern cuisine are a "deadly formula" for the city.
It's a very interesting puzzle, says Dr. Thomas Glass, an associate professor of epidemiology at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health says, "Suburban sprawl is a major player. There are very different scales of urban density and finding the best ones could be a prescription for reducing inactivity."
So a compact built environment, walkable neighborhoods, and options to driving can make us healthier. Need more help or information? Find out how many calories you can save by switching trips from driving to taking transit, biking, walking or telecommuting on Arlington's Car-Free Diet Calculator.
Additional Resources: Fit Arlington web site.
Related story: U.K. Report: Walk More and Loose Weight, Save the Environment, August 16, 2007
Chris Hamilton is the Commuter Services Chief for Arlington County, manager of CommuterPageBlog and a biking/Metro commuter from Rosemont in Alexandria.
Staying health consious is the way to go.
Posted by: M Martin | March 10, 2008 at 09:35 PM