From: Kevin Leyden <kleyden@wvu.edu>
To: mariasmith@busride.org; freesource@cheat.org; citycouncilward1@cityofmorgantown.org; ddavis@cityofmorgantown.org; dspencer36@comcast.net; maryg1010@comcast.net; mike@EpicRoadTrips.us; mgranlil@frontier.com; dwight.harshbarger@gmail.com; fgmeindl@gmail.com; michael.d.simms@gmail.com; mwgraham11@gmail.com; sarahbias@gmail.com; wileya120@gmail.com; crossnyc@hotmail.com; dcain@hsc.wvu.edu; ichertok@hsc.wvu.edu; msummers@hsc.wvu.edu; randerson@hsc.wvu.edu; tbias@hsc.wvu.edu; wreger@hsc.wvu.edu; baustin@labyrinth.net; dwilliams@labyrinth.net; Christiaan Abildso <Christiaan.Abildso@mail.wvu.edu>; Hugh Kierig <Hugh.Kierig@mail.wvu.edu>; Jim Rye <Jim.Rye@mail.wvu.edu>; Joshua Woods <Joshua.Woods@mail.wvu.edu>; Margaret Stout <Margaret.Stout@mail.wvu.edu>; Maria Brann <Maria.Brann@mail.wvu.edu>; Roy Nutter <Roy.Nutter@mail.wvu.edu>; Stanley Cohen <Stanley.Cohen@mail.wvu.edu>; cpawlak@mix.wvu.edu; dsmall1@mix.wvu.edu; mthoma29@mix.wvu.edu; ella@montrails.org; cchantler@nwvcil.org; jderry@nwvcil.org; director@positivespin.org; reginam@verizon.net; harrisda@wvuhealthcare.com; Jsimmons2642@yahoo.com; walkmgw@yahoo.com
Cc: bikeboard@cheat.org
Sent: Thursday, June 21, 2012 11:44 AM
Subject: Top recommendation for obesity: Improve community design

Top recommendation for obesity: Improve community design
BETTER! CITIES & TOWNS
The Institute of Medicine of the National Academies of Sciences recently
published Accelerating Progress in Obesity Prevention, a major study.
The recommendations are wide ranging, but the top one focuses on the
built environment. “Communities, organizations, community planners, and
public health professionals should encourage physical activity by
enhancing the physical and built environment, rethinking community
design, and ensuring access to places for such activity.” One third of
US adults are now obese, and more disturbingly, the prevalence of
obesity among children has risen from 5 to 17 percent in the last 30
years. Estimated annual cost of obesity-related illness for 2000-2005 is
$190.2 billion (in 2005 dollars), or nearly 21 percent of annual medical
spending in the US. See the June BCT issue.
GO TO WEBSITE/COMMENT

Kevin M. Leyden, Ph.D.
Director, Institute for Public Affairs
Professor, Department of Political Science
West Virginia University
Eberly College of Arts & Sciences
301-B Woodburn Hall
Morgantown, WV 26506-6317
Phone: 304-293-5432
email: kleyden@wvu.edu