Waistlines Bulge in Fitness Deserts

Many cities lack access to recreation facilities and parks, a condition one publication terms a "fitness desert."

January 12, 2012

WASHINGTON - Expressnightout.com writes about Washington€™s "fitness desert" phenomenon, those areas within the Washington, D.C., area that lack access to recreation facilities, parks, trails, playgrounds and bike lanes.

While "everyone€™s on a mission to annihilate 'food deserts,€™" the publication said, "what people eat is only part of the reason that obesity is consuming this country €" and this city."

A 2010 D.C. Department of Health report revealed that poor diet and lack of physical activity account for 15 percent of D.C. deaths, drawing a connecting between sedentary behavior and obesity.

Despite describing certain D.C. wards as fitness deserts, expressnightout said Washington has it much better than many other large U.S. cities.

Parkland comprises 19% of Washington€™s acreage, a figure trumped only by New York among major American cities, according to the Trust for Public Land. And a 2010 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports found that Washington leads the states in terms of residents€™ proximity to parks and fitness centers.

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