1 in 3 are overweight in the U.S.. A lack of exercise during daily commute is a key reason. Believe it or not, it’s affecting our food choices too.

It’s a beautiful day in Houston. Maybe I’ll walk to work and get some exercise. Although, that would take two hours. Guess I’ll drive and hit the gym on the way home (although likely not). In Houston, 1 in 3 are overweight. Same average as the country itself. The lack of incidental exercise during the daily commute is a key reason. Believe it or not, it’s affecting peoples ability to make healthy food choices too.

Americans getting fat from their commute

…walking and cycling habits are more effective at changing long term exercise habits than going to a gym…

In Houston, 9 in 10 commute by car. With an average of 28 minutes each way, that’s 1 hour less per day for other things like exercising. Think you are better off because you’ve got a gym membership? Maybe. But, according to a Georgia Institute of Technology review, not so much. It seems daily walking and cycling habits are more effective at changing long term exercise habits than going to Curves or Goodlife. After all, 4 in 5 don’t use their gym membership. And usage is dismal. 75% use their gym membership, on average, 6 times in total. So while you might be the motivated type who can get yourself to the gym every day, most don’t.

4 in 5 don’t use their gym membership

What about sitting on the bus – how is that better than driving? Guess what, you still have to get to and from transit stops. Not surprisingly, those who take transit walk more according to Toronto Public Health.

So how can the majority get the recommended 60 minutes of exercise per day they need? Don’t take your car to work if you live in a place where it’s a reasonable option.

I thought food choices were more important than exercise

It’s not all about exercise right? Of course, we are what we eat. So how do we choose what we eat? Well, it seems that our bodies are telling us not only what we want, but what we need too. According to one report, a Harvard study found exercise makes it easier for people to make healthy food choices. Seems intuitive. Like any other bodily function, your body sends signals to the brain (and vice-versa) to ensure it gets what it needs. Bruise on your foot? Pain signals the body to send more blood. Keep bruising your foot and your skin will thicken to compensate for future impact. Same goes with exercise. Tired muscles? You body searches for the energy needed to replenish the cells. Tired muscles from exercising every day? Your body searches for more effective ways to deal with the routine. It re-configures your muscles and develops demands for better quality nutrition.

If that is the case, then Obesity levels should relate to car use, no?

If there is some truth to the above, there might be a link between how fat we are and how we commute.

Comparing obesity statistics to car use, it seems there could be. Looking at a number of developed countries, there appears to be a relationship. No surprise – countries with people who use their car less happen to have less obesity. In fact, a study by Dr. David Bassett of the University of Tennessee looked at this concluding the same thing. That there is an inverse relationship between obesity and active transportation (walking, cycling, and transit modes being selected over using the car).

Europeans walk 3 times (237 miles) as far and cycle five times (116 miles) as far as Americans (walk 87 miles and bike 24 miles) per year

Urban Density and fitness

So how do we get more people to leave the car at home? Reid Ewing of Rutgers University did a study on sprawl and found that denser cities have higher levels of active transportation. It’s obvious that things are closer in more compact cities making it easier to leave the car at home. But denser cities are also more congested which also make other transport modes more attractive. That’s right – congestion might not be such a bad thing after all as highlighted in an earlier article. It also makes public transit more affordable for cities. It makes routes shorter. And with everything being closer together in compact cities, people are also closer to transit allowing lines to service people more effectively. So yes, denser cities mean higher levels of walking and cycling.

Public Health involvement in Urban Planning

Of course, the range of research supporting these connections is young. Still, many of the findings thus far have been no-brainers. Compact cities encourage more active travel. Cities that drives less exercises more. More exercise means healthier people who eat better food.

The U.S. spends more than anyone (over 17% of GDP) on health care. Much of this is linked to care of people with problems derived from weight issues. So Public Health officials want people to eat better and exercise more? Perhaps it’s time for them to get serious about smart growth and help their urban planning counterparts.

[Sources / Literature: Men’s Fitness, Chron, Money Sense, Oregon Live, USA Today, Emax Health, Center for Disease Control, Toronto Public Health, OECD, Journal of Physical Activity and Health, Smart Growth America, NBC, Smartgrowth]