城市怎样帮助减肥.docxVIP

How Cities Can Help Fight ObesityOn Sundays in Ferguson, Missouri, the community encourages kids to play in the streets by closing them off to cars and turning them into temporary parkways. Streets are closed in different neighborhoods each week as part of the city’s “Live Well” initiative for health. This is a great idea: studies show that children with regular access to parks and outdoor space have lower prevalence of obesity by 20 percent. Ferguson’s initiative shows that there are simple things we can do at the level of our own neighborhood to improve quality of life and fitness. When we think of improving our health, we sometimes think that the entire burden is on individuals to alter lifestyles, which many people find discouraging. But, as we’ve reported before, steps taken by communities can make a big difference in making healthy lifestyles easier. We now have additional support for this point from a new report by the Bipartisan Policy Center and a recent article from US News World Report, both published earlier this month. We also have a recently-revamped website that is filled with useful information on community health and active living. First, the Bipartisan Policy Center’s new report, “Lots to Lose: How America’s Health and Obesity Crisis Threatens our Economic Future, ” repeats the warning that growing obesity rates are a serious problem that extends to not only the well-being of our children but also to our economic security, because of health care costs. The core of the report provides specific prevention- and community-based recommendations based on best practices and organized into four categories: families, schools, workplaces, and communities. While the categories are interrelated, many readers of this blog will be particularly interested in the recommendations for communities: Train health care professionals in nutrition and physical activity Expand a “prevention-workforce” by providing training also to non-clinical, community health workers Pro