A study titled "Walking, obesity and urban design in Chinese neighborhoods" finds that the population with least access to walkable neighborhoods in China—namely, the middle class, are suffering the worst of the country's growing obesity problem.
Sarah Goodyear shares news of a study in the Preventative Medicine journal that "examines the connections between obesity, income, and the built environment in two of China’s major cities, Shanghai and Hangzhou."
The study "found that, as in other countries, there is a link between neighborhood design—their walkability—and levels of physical activity among residents." Moreover, according to Goodyear, in China, "the poorest and the most affluent were both less likely to be obese than the middle class." The article goes on to provide more detail on the findings of the study as well as its implications for walkable urban design.
FULL STORY: Declining Walkability Plays a Big Role in China's Obesity Problem
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UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research