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Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Has surburbia added pounds to your waistline?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
“You are an extremely lucky woman,” my doctor recently told me.
He explained that most people my weight have diabetes, high blood pressure, and arthritis. He said that I have a clean bill of health - at least for now - but without a lifestyle change those health issues may affect me in the future.
My doctor advised that in addition to reducing my calorie intake and drinking plenty of water I must also increase my activity level.
The truth is that for some time I have been a sedentary person. Like too many overweight Americans, my movement has been mostly functional. I have been guilty of moving just enough to saunter through life with an occasional walk in the park or other small bursts of increased physical activity.
Since inaugurating a regular exercise program I’ve reflected back on my life. I was not always an inactive person. Regular physical exercise was an ordinary part of my daily regime while growing up.
As a girl, I walked or rode my bicycle to school, to my friends’ houses and just about everywhere. During my 20s I walked to and from public transportation to get to college and to work.
After all, I lived in a city during those days and its many sidewalks and nearby public transportation invited a more active lifestyle.
When I moved to the suburbs my daily motion began a steady decline. Living in the suburbs requires me to drive everywhere, even for trips short enough for a brisk walk or bicycle ride, because of the lack of sidewalks and crosswalks that make it safe to bike or walk.
In my Duluth community near Gwinnett Place, you take your life in your hands to walk to the store or to catch the bus that connects with MARTA.
About a year and one half ago, I had a business meeting near Pleasant Hill and Club Drive not too far from my home in Duluth. I decided to walk and was challenged by intermittent sidewalks and aggressive and rude drivers.
Even though I used the crosswalk to make my way to the other side of the road, it was still tricky. The drivers were stunned to see me and very impatient while I crossed the road. I quickly learned that being a pedestrian in Gwinnett is difficult and potentially deadly.
I vowed to not try it again.
I am committed to finding the time to engage in a regular exercise program that will enable me to become healthier and increase my chances for an extended independent life. However, I long for the exercise that comes from being able to walk to the corner store or the bus stop.
Ultimately, I must accept responsibility for packing on the pounds but it is undeniable that my suburban lifestyle helped me gain weight.
Has suburban living caused you to gain weight?
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