Citation

King DM, Jacobson SH. Curr. Obes. Rep. 2017; 6(1): 3-9.

Affiliation

Department of Computer Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 201 North Goodwin Avenue, MC-258, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, Current Medicine Group)

DOI

10.1007/s13679-017-0238-y

PMID

28243840

Abstract

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Traveling by automobile rather than walking or cycling can encourage obesity by eliminating physical activity. As national obesity rates in the USA have reached 37.9% in 2014, understanding the connections between obesity and transportation choices can help policymakers in the public health community propose effective obesity interventions at the national level. RECENT FINDINGS: Following from foundational studies examining associations between the built environment and leisure walking, recent studies consider a diverse set of transportation choices regarding mode (e.g., automobile, walking, public transit) and purpose (e.g., commuting, leisure), along with studies on the effectiveness of several transportation-related interventions for obesity. The reviewed studies point toward potential interventions for obesity; there is emerging evidence that commuting by public transit may be one such intervention. Moreover, new data-gathering tools such as global positioning systems, geographic information systems, and accelerometers may alleviate statistical obstacles in conducting future studies.

Language: en

Keywords

Active travel; Automobile travel; Built environment; Obesity