The Media is Catching On ...ish

On this blog, we sometimes lament the fact that the media focuses so much on obesity rates and individuals' personal battles to lose weight, that they miss the real story: the root causes of the obesity epidemic and the innovative solutions that are being developed throughout the country.

We'd like to give St. Louis's own KSDK a firm handshake and a congratulatory pat on the back for posting a story that highlights the link between active living and obesity rates in various countries. The highlights of the story are simple: In countries where a high percentage of people use active transportation (walking, biking, public transit) to get around, the obesity rate is low. Below is some quick data from the article:

Country ~~ % Active Transport ~~ Obesity Rate
Sweden ~~ 62% ~~ 9%
The Netherlands ~~ 52% ~~ 11%
Latvia ~~ 57% ~~ 14%
The United States ~~ 12% ~~ 25-33%

On average, only 12% of Americans use active transportation to go to work, school, or shop. In Missouri, that number is far lower--only 4.4% of Missourians get around using active transport.

This post wouldn't be complete if we failed to mention the critical importance of having city design and roadway/infrastructure design that supports walking, biking, and public transit. The sprawl and ever-expanding highway systems that have come to define the St. Louis region and much of the midwest keep people in their cars, inactive, and isolated from their neighbors, kill local economies, and facilitate the obesity epidemic. Many folks don't walk or bike because the roads don't accommodate it or they have no nearby destinations. We've said it before and we'll say it again:

The Choices We Make Are Driven By the Choices We Have.

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