Bike Friendly Cities Have Lowest Rates of Obesity and Diabetes

New Study shows that those cities with systems of bike paths have lower obesity and diabetes rates. A study released last week emphasizes the benefits of exercise and the need for obese people to trim their waistlines through activities such as bicycling.

According to Michael Earls, co-author of the study conducted by Trust for America’s Health, “The solution to obesity is not that everyone should run a marathon. It’s the little things that begin to make a dent in the problem, like taking the stairs instead of the elevator or riding your bike to work”.

One of the trimmer states in the country is Oregon where only 21 percent of the people were found overweight last year, compared with Alabama where the figure is almost 28 percent. Oregonians also eat more healthy food. The state is known for farmers’ markets where fresh produce can be bought. According to Associated Press (AP), 10 percent of Portland (Oregon) residents pedal to the office on a system of bike paths that crisscross the city like arteries, just as they do in Boulder, Colorado, another bike-friendly metropolis, located in the leanest state in the nation. Only 16.4 percent of Coloradans are obese, according to the study.

Not everyone is convinced about the study’s findings. Epidemiologist Melvin Kohn has said that while the findings look impressive on paper, nearly 59 percent of adult Oregonians are classified as either “obese” or “overweight”. khalid hasan
Fact: No other city in the United States is working as hard to become a cycling-friendly city as Chicago. In 1990, it was voted second-best city for cyclists by Bicycling Magazine, but for avid cyclist Mayor Richard Daley, it’s not good enough. "My goal is to make the city of Chicago the most bike-friendly city in the United States." Last year, the city installed its 8,000th bike rack, more than exist in any other U.S. city. Chicago aims to ensure that anywhere a cyclist goes, she would have a place to safely store a bicycle. By the end of the year, the city will add 25 miles to its 100 miles of bike lanes (Pittsburgh has fewer than 5 miles).

To read the report: Trust for America’s Health Report
https://healthyamericans.org/reports/obesity2005/

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DID YOU KNOW:
Obesity and diabetes carry risks for pregnant women: "In a recent large, population-based study, obesity and diabetes were independently associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes, highlighting the need for women to undergo lifestyle changes to help them control their weight during the childbearing years and beyond.” Researchers collected data from the 1999, 2000 and 2001 New York City birth files for 329,988 singleton births that included information on the mother’s pre-pregnancy weight and weight gain during pregnancy. They found that chronic and gestational diabetes were significant risks for a primary cesarean and for preterm birth in all women. Diabetes as a risk for low birth weight varied by group. For example, whereas chronic diabetes increased the risk for low birth weight among Asians, Hispanics, and whites, it was not a significant predictor of low birth weight among blacks.

“Maternal Obesity and Diabetes as Risk Factors for Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes: Differences Among 4 Racial/Ethnic Groups.” Contact: Terry Rosenberg, PhD, Medical Health and Research Association, New York, N.Y., trosenberg@mhra.org

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