Are Our Cities Making us Fat?

Filling in for Mark while he's on his honeymoon is guest blogger John Brodigan

I was out to dinner with some of my crew recently. One of their girlfriends was complaining about the portions being too large, and how restaurants should be forced to give people smaller portions. The restaurants are making her fat.

I always thought it was people's lack of willpower that made them fat. But, at least in this tart's mind, she shouldn't have to show any willpower. It's the restaurants responsibility to give her smaller portions, because if they give her a large portion...she can't stop herself from eating it. Why should she have to put in the effort?

I think of this every time I hear aboot how America is getting fatter, and was thinking aboot it as I read this article on MSNBC.com. A community that encourages walking and exercise? I can dig that.

Taxing everything that makes us lazy and fat? No so much so.

Here's the story...

DENVER - It’ll take more than public service campaigns to solve the nation’s obesity problem, according to fitness experts who say neighborhoods must be designed so people can get around without their cars.

Virtually everything American society has done for the past 100 years has made it easier for us to be fatter, said James Sallis, a San Diego State University psychology professor, and others who gathered recently at the American College of Sports Medicine’s annual meeting.

“We’ve built an unhealthy world in a lot of different ways,” said Sallis, who was once dubbed an “obesity warrior” by Time magazine.

Sallis contends change will come only when the public demands walkable development, more federal money for parks and bike paths and even a tax on industries that promote sedentary lifestyles (he pointed to video game makers, movie theater chains and even electric Segway scooters).

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