Public Health Officer Speaks Against Planning And Obesity

"The theme of Jackson's speech [in California's Central Valley] was that planning, and by extension society, is geared too much for driving convenience, eating fatty foods and discouraging walking." Jackson claimed that "California paves or builds more than 400 acres a day, and the number of miles the average state resident drives annually has doubled, to more than 9,000, in the last 20 years." He called for an increased role for county health officers in land use planning, in order to ensure the creation of more walkable communities.