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"It seems like a no-brainer: the fewer the sidewalks, walking destinations, safe neighborhoods, and other accoutrements that go into making a community "walkable", the less people walk. The less they walk, the more they weigh. The more they weigh, the more likely they are to have health problems."—Excerpted from THE HEALTH EFFECTS OF SPRAWL, from the website for The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
CNN Headline News highlighted the national obesity epidemic and its tie to unactive environments in their feature report "Fat Neighborhoods"
"America faces a national health crisis of epidemic proportions. Physical inactivity combined with overeating has, in just a few decades, made us a nation of fat and out-of-shape people. The incidence of overweight or obese adults increased steadily from 47% in 1976, to 56% in 1994, and 61% percent in 1999. The prevalence of overweight children and adolescents almost doubled during the same period."
Increasing Physical Activity Through Community Design, A Guide for Public Health Practitioners, May 2002, National Center for Bicycling and Walking
The Health Problem of Physical Inactivity
Recommended Physical Activity
Health Statistics for South Carolina
Walking and Bicycling in South Carolina
Legislation
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