Obesity is a major health problem among adults and children. Heavier adults and children can experience many health problems ranging from joint problems and more illness to serious heart problems and diabetes.
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has ideas for how cities can help their residents become healthier. CDC has found links between environments and occurrence of obesity. The July 24, 2009 edition of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly (MMWR) recommends 24 ideas for change in communities.
- Increase availability of healthier food and beverage choices in public service venues - Change the foods and drinks offered at schools, after-school programs, child care centers, community recreation events, playgrounds, swimming pools, municipal buildings.
- Improve the affordability of the healthier food and beverage choices in public venues. Work to lower prices of healthier choices and increase prices of less healthy options.
- Increase access to supermarkets with full-service grocery areas in underserved areas.
Offer incentives to food retailers to locate in and/or offer healthier food choices in the underserved areas.
Find ways to make it easier to buy food directly from farms. Increasing farmers markets is a way to accomplish this goal.
Provide incentives for productions, distribution and purchase of foods from local farms, especially for use by the municipality.
Restrict availability of less healthy food and beverages in public service venues.
Have smaller portions available in public service venues.
Limit advertising for less healthy foods and beverages.
Discourage consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages.
Increase support for breastfeeding.
Require physical education in schools.
Increase amount of physical activity in physical education programs in schools.
Increase opportunities for extracurricular physical activity.
Reduce time spent looking at screens (computers, TV's, games, etc) in public venues.
Improve access to outdoor recreation facilities.
Enhance infrastructure to support bicycling.
Enhance infrastructure to support walking.
Locate schools within easy walking distance of residential areas.
Improve access to public transportation.
Zone communities for mixed-use development to encourage walking and bicycling.
Enhance personal safety in areas where persons are or could be physically active.
Enhance traffic safety in areas where persons are or could be physically active.
Communities should participate in community coalitions or partnerships to address obesity.
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