Driving Lifestyle Change
In order for the United States to succeed in reversing the trend towards overweight and obesity that threatens to both our public and private healthcare systems, we must begin to make decisions regarding how we live our lives based on different factors than we have over the last 60 years.
I draw the line at 60 years because it represents the end of World War II, and with it, the beginning of the automobile driven culture and the related explosion of suburbia. This trend accelerated with the greater frequency of two-car families in the 1960's and 1970's.
Most adults beyond a certain age remember walking to school. I have to admit that as a very young child, I did that, but after my family moved, I rode a bus. There are currently suggestions in place that mitigate against neighborhood schools, and from the standpoint of depth of offerings in schools, are valid, but they do so at the expense of public health. It both discourages children from exercising, but also traps the in a school bus, often breathing exhaust fumes. The cost of the bus is put on the community as an ongoing operating expense of the schools, but not one cent of it is used for real education. (For more on this situation, please follow this link: http://www.nationaltrust.org/news/docs/20001116_johnny_cantwalk.html)
We also live today in an age of fear of child abduction, but in many ways, walking to school likely diminishes the risks of this occurring. Why? More kids on the street means more eyes on the street, and because these eyes are travelling more slowly, they can observe more. Also, children can often walk to school in groups, thus teaching some of the classic values of community, looking out for their friends and neighbors.
I live in a town that sits along a commuter railroad. There's currently an uproar over lack of commuter parking. Because of the size of the town, very few commuters live more than a mile from the train station. (Now, I'll grant you, there are days when walking to the station can be very unpleasant.) If the town made a rule that you cannot get a parking permit unless you live a certain distance from the station or are disabled or otherwise medically unfit to walk, it would likely both improve community health and eliminate the parking problem.
But, what do we do in communities where schools are distant from those who attend? The first step is likely getting the town government to give some thought to these kinds of issues. Rather than enlarging the school, why not build another in a different part of town? Can a bike path be built (safely) to the school? If not, can one be added to the town's long-term planning to permit it at a later date?
All of these issues are meaningful, but none works alone, and most significantly, none will work without the support of the public. I'll be addressing this issue further in the near future.
I draw the line at 60 years because it represents the end of World War II, and with it, the beginning of the automobile driven culture and the related explosion of suburbia. This trend accelerated with the greater frequency of two-car families in the 1960's and 1970's.
Most adults beyond a certain age remember walking to school. I have to admit that as a very young child, I did that, but after my family moved, I rode a bus. There are currently suggestions in place that mitigate against neighborhood schools, and from the standpoint of depth of offerings in schools, are valid, but they do so at the expense of public health. It both discourages children from exercising, but also traps the in a school bus, often breathing exhaust fumes. The cost of the bus is put on the community as an ongoing operating expense of the schools, but not one cent of it is used for real education. (For more on this situation, please follow this link: http://www.nationaltrust.org/news/docs/20001116_johnny_cantwalk.html)
We also live today in an age of fear of child abduction, but in many ways, walking to school likely diminishes the risks of this occurring. Why? More kids on the street means more eyes on the street, and because these eyes are travelling more slowly, they can observe more. Also, children can often walk to school in groups, thus teaching some of the classic values of community, looking out for their friends and neighbors.
I live in a town that sits along a commuter railroad. There's currently an uproar over lack of commuter parking. Because of the size of the town, very few commuters live more than a mile from the train station. (Now, I'll grant you, there are days when walking to the station can be very unpleasant.) If the town made a rule that you cannot get a parking permit unless you live a certain distance from the station or are disabled or otherwise medically unfit to walk, it would likely both improve community health and eliminate the parking problem.
But, what do we do in communities where schools are distant from those who attend? The first step is likely getting the town government to give some thought to these kinds of issues. Rather than enlarging the school, why not build another in a different part of town? Can a bike path be built (safely) to the school? If not, can one be added to the town's long-term planning to permit it at a later date?
All of these issues are meaningful, but none works alone, and most significantly, none will work without the support of the public. I'll be addressing this issue further in the near future.
posted by Scooter at 1:21 PM
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