In Brief:
A new study confirms what seems obvious: people who live in communities where walking and cycling are common are less likely to be overweight or obese.. The researchers analyzed statistics about walking and cycling in 14 countries, and also studied data about walking and cycling to work in all 50 states and in 47 of the largest U.S. cities.. They found that the highest levels of walking and cycling among the countries studied were in Switzerland, the Netherlands and Spain, while the lowest levels were in the United States, Australia and Canada. "It's really important to promote walking and cycling as safe, convenient and feasible modes of getting around on an everyday basis," lead author John Pucher, a professor who studies transportation at Rutgers University in New Jersey, said in a Center for Advancing Health news release.. It's amazing how unconcerned most Americans are about this," Pucher said..
