1. Neighborhood Design & Obesity

2. What is BMI? Body Mass Index (BMI) Weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters <18.5 underweight 18.5-24.9 normal weight 25-29.9 overweight ≥ 30 obese

3. Source: National Center for Health Statistics.

6. Elevated BMI increases the risk of… Hypertension Type 2 Diabetes Coronary Heart Disease Stroke Gallbladder Disease Osteoarthritis Sleep Apnea and Respiratory Problems Some Cancers (endometrial, breast, and colon) In 2003, CDC estimated that obesity related medical expenditures in the U.S. were $75 billion

7. Culprits Poor nutritional habits Quality of diet Total caloric intake “super sizing” Fast Food Time Crunch Poor exercise habits Purposeful physical activity (living on farms) Stealth physical activity (elevator vs. stairs) Time Crunch Opportunities to be physically active

8. What Role Might Communities Play in Energy Balance? Where do people buy their food? Where do people exercise? How do people go from home to work?

10. Street Connectivity .5 mile vs. 1.3 miles to walk the same straight distance

11. Where would you rather walk?

12. Diverse Destinations

13. Population Density

14. Reviewing… Rising overweight/obesity in the U.S. is a major health problem Communities may play a critical role in altering the risk of being overweight/obese via Choices about physical infrastructure (bike lanes) Choices about retail food (zoning, tax incentives) Choices about public transportation Focus of research on the “3D’s” Community Design Land Use Diversity Population Density