Obesity
The Planetizen News Brief - 11/5/09
4:17 minutes (3.93 MB)
Cities assessing the health impacts of planning, driving-to-qualify for health insurance, and the bike-sharing troubles plaguing Paris -- all on this week's Planetizen News Brief, airing weekly on "Smart City". Read, listen or download.
First Fast Food, Now South L.A. Looks to Ban Convenience Stores
Community activists are calling for a ban on new convenience stores in South Los Angeles, a lower income part of town that saw a ban on new fast food restaurants last year.
The Los Angeles Times
Fast Food Ban Doesn't Trim the Fat
A ban on new fast food restaurants in South Los Angeles which was put in place last year has been found to play little role in reducing obesity in the area, according to a new report from the Rand Corporation.
Los Angeles Times
Can Living in a Bad Neighborhood Make You Fat?
A new study of public high school students suggests a connection between obesity and feeling unsafe in one's neighborhood.
ABC News
The Importance of Bicycle and Pedestrian Infrastructure
Pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure is a part of transportation, whether some elected officials like it or not. In this piece from Citiwire, Neal Peirce writes that this fact is becoming increasingly clear.
Citiwire
Health Researchers Connect Global Warming and Obesity
A new book by four public health researchers shows that global warming and obesity have the same causes- we drive too much, and carbon-intensive foods have become our daily bread.
Grist
Students Give Up Wheels for Their Own Two Feet
This piece from the New York Times looks at a program in Italy the encourages children to walk to school.
The New York Times
Missouri Streets are a Little More Complete
DeSoto and Ferguson are the first two cities in Missouri to adopt Complete Street plans. The ordinances are in place to encourage walking and biking, and, ultimately, healthier lifestyles.
Land Online
The Difficulty of Getting Kids Walking
Mecklenberg County, NC has created a program to encourage kids to walk to school in an attempt to curb obesity, but they're finding that the road to good intentions isn't properly paved.
The Naked City
Mississippi Holds Onto Title as Fattest State in U.S.
This is Mississippi's third year in a row topping CalorieLab's United States of Obesity report. The BBC goes to Jefferson County, MS to find out why.
BBC
New Study Links Obesity to Land Use Patterns
A new study by the University of Utah shows that people who live in walkable neighborhoods are more likely to be leaner than those who live in auto-oriented areas.
The Salt Lake Tribune
Fresh Food Financing
Pennsylvania is putting its money where its mouth is with the Fresh Food Financing Initiative, a $120 million fund to encourage inner-city groceries.
The Christian Science Monitor
More Fast Food Makes Fatter Neighborhoods
High rates of obesity and diabetes are being correlated to high concentrations of fast food restaurants in neighborhoods. Some look to zoning as a solution.
The Los Angeles Times
Suburbia Isn't To Blame For Obesity
New research suggests that urban sprawl doesn't cause weight gain in residents, though it does attract people who are inclined to be heavy and prefer to move around by car.
Reuters


















