Symposium Focuses On Creating Healthier Neighborhoods

摘要

Local officials are discovering that the link between health and the built environment presents both challenges and opportunities:rn1. More than half (53 percent) of Cali-fornians fail to meet recommended guidelines for physical activity. Better community planning and design can help make walking, biking and other forms of physical activity a regular part of daily life for residents of all ages and backgrounds. For example, locating parks within walking distance increases the likelihood that people will exercise by 25 percent.rn2. Californians on average have four times more fast-food restaurants than grocery or produce stores in their neighborhoods. Communities that increase access to healthier foods enjoy lower rates of obesity, diabetes, heart disease and other serious nutrition-related health conditions, according to several scientific studies.