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Does where you live influence your weight & fitness?
Replies
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I have lived in 8 or 9 different areas and I always stayed fat!6
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Walkywalkerson wrote: »I agree with Turtlemummy that herd mentality is definitely an influence.
I just read an article from a newspaper that stated people in the States consider a 30 minute walk too far!
I find that unbelievable and no wonder obesity is an epidemic there!
I'll try and post the link.Walkywalkerson wrote: »
Sure, an article about a social media thread is the ideal way to find out what everyone in a large, diverse country does and thinks.
The last two paragraphs are the only useful ones: Something more like research suggests the average USAian walks 1200 fewer steps on the average day than the average UKian.
I (USAian) agree that many adults where I am seem oddly averse to walking, possibly even in circumstances where walking is viable. My guess is that those more inclined to walking might spend less time on social media describing or defending not walking.
Just a guess, though, no research . . . kind of like all but the last 2 paragraphs of that article.7 -
Walkywalkerson wrote: »I agree with Turtlemummy that herd mentality is definitely an influence.
I just read an article from a newspaper that stated people in the States consider a 30 minute walk too far!
I find that unbelievable and no wonder obesity is an epidemic there!
I'll try and post the link.Walkywalkerson wrote: »
Sure, an article about a social media thread is the ideal way to find out what everyone in a large, diverse country does and thinks.
The last two paragraphs are the only useful ones: Something more like research suggests the average USAian walks 1200 fewer steps on the average day than the average UKian.
I (USAian) agree that many adults where I am seem oddly averse to walking, possibly even in circumstances where walking is viable. My guess is that those more inclined to walking might spend less time on social media describing or defending not walking.
Just a guess, though, no research . . . kind of like all but the last 2 paragraphs of that article.
Don't worry - I doubt anyone has taken an article from a newspaper too seriously 🤣
Just like I take comments on this forum with a pinch of salt.
It's a very aggressive unwelcoming place.
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Walkywalkerson wrote: »I agree with Turtlemummy that herd mentality is definitely an influence.
I just read an article from a newspaper that stated people in the States consider a 30 minute walk too far!
I find that unbelievable and no wonder obesity is an epidemic there!
I'll try and post the link.
In USA a pedestrian is a person who just parked their car.7 -
NorthCascades wrote: »Walkywalkerson wrote: »I agree with Turtlemummy that herd mentality is definitely an influence.
I just read an article from a newspaper that stated people in the States consider a 30 minute walk too far!
I find that unbelievable and no wonder obesity is an epidemic there!
I'll try and post the link.
In USA a pedestrian is a person who just parked their car.
There’s an interesting history to that:
https://www.vox.com/platform/amp/2015/1/15/7551873/jaywalking-history1 -
Walkywalkerson wrote: »Walkywalkerson wrote: »I agree with Turtlemummy that herd mentality is definitely an influence.
I just read an article from a newspaper that stated people in the States consider a 30 minute walk too far!
I find that unbelievable and no wonder obesity is an epidemic there!
I'll try and post the link.Walkywalkerson wrote: »
Sure, an article about a social media thread is the ideal way to find out what everyone in a large, diverse country does and thinks.
The last two paragraphs are the only useful ones: Something more like research suggests the average USAian walks 1200 fewer steps on the average day than the average UKian.
I (USAian) agree that many adults where I am seem oddly averse to walking, possibly even in circumstances where walking is viable. My guess is that those more inclined to walking might spend less time on social media describing or defending not walking.
Just a guess, though, no research . . . kind of like all but the last 2 paragraphs of that article.
Don't worry - I doubt anyone has taken an article from a newspaper too seriously 🤣
Just like I take comments on this forum with a pinch of salt.
It's a very aggressive unwelcoming place.
I dont find that at all - isnt unfriendly or aggressive IMO
This is debate section - where quality of sources matters and claims can be civilly refuted or challenged - as yours was.
I dunno - if you dont intend your source to be taken seriously, or are going to be upset that it is not, debate section probably isnt place to post it.
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NorthCascades wrote: »Walkywalkerson wrote: »I agree with Turtlemummy that herd mentality is definitely an influence.
I just read an article from a newspaper that stated people in the States consider a 30 minute walk too far!
I find that unbelievable and no wonder obesity is an epidemic there!
I'll try and post the link.
In USA a pedestrian is a person who just parked their car.
Sometimes I resemble that remark. Often, actually.
A thing I think is relevant to that, as a US/UK comparison, maybe: I won't look at the whole of the US - which would be even more extreme as a comparison, but at my state, Michigan.
The UK (according to Google) has a land mass around 93,628 square miles (England alone, 50,337 square miles).
My state, Michigan, has a land mass around 96,716 square miles, so a tad bit bigger than the whole UK. Yes, some of the the UK land masses are separated by water. So are 2 big parts of Michigan and some small islands, though in a different arrangement, of course.
The UK population is about 66.6 million people (England alone, 55.9 million).
Michigan's population is about 9.9 million, about 15% as many people, in about the same land mass. Yes, population density varies city to rural, along with access to needful commercial enterprises, which complicates comparison. Here in the upper Midwest US, the cities sprawl sideways, more than they grow upwards. Things are quite spread out.
Without considering anything else, though, it seems like these geographical differences would contribute to a walk vs. drive tendency, or to a drive then walk approach to walking. I live close in to commercial areas, for this part of the US, though not in an actual urban setting (it's a suburb comparatively near commercial areas). Only other people's houses/apartments are within half an hour's walk of where I live. The nearest groceries (at a gas station convenience store) are 54 minutes (Google maps estimate) away, by street or footpath (one way, so just under 2 hours, round trip). Nearest real grocery, hour and five minutes one way. Nearest drugstore, an hour and 5. Bike is more viable, but any of the commercial entities I mentioned involve some high-traffic roads.
Yeah, I drive a lot, or drive, park, then walk, when it comes to daily life. Walking for exercise? Sure. Through residential areas or trails, just for the enjoyment of walking, departing from home or from other places I've driven to for some reason. Walking as the exclusive transportation mode is not routinely practical for errands, from home. When I've lived closer to the commercial areas, I've done errands on foot, and would do again. Most people don't live that close to the commercial areas, I'm thinking.
Recently, as examples, I've gone to an event at a park, then walked all around the area to get take out food, explore a bit (2.3 miles per Garmin); taken my car in to get a new windshield, walked while waiting (explored, got takeout lunch, walked to a park to eat, walked to brewpub; 1.82 miles). Even my recent intentional-exercise walks have been at a park I drive to after rowing nearby, then walk 5ish miles. So, yeah: I'm a pedestrian who just parked her car, often.6 -
NorthCascades wrote: »Suburbs are generally not friendly to walking, cycling, or being alive. Let's not confuse them with the city, though. If a city is a family run Indian restaurant, the suburbs are Olive Garden.
This may be the best thing I have ever read on this website.
This has been touched on several times in the thread, which I've read with interest and partially agreed and disagreed with a lot of posts, but one thing I keep thinking is that anecdotes and statistics are both important but for different reasons. Statistics can point to trends and changes at the population level, but one limitation they have is they don't tell you about individual people and their stories. That's not their job, but I think it's important to remember that just because stats can give you some information about a population as a whole, it wouldn't be fair to then assume that it applies to each and every individual in that area in the same way.
I may be especially sensitive to this because I live in an area that gets stereotyped in a very particular way by people who do not live here, and it annoys the heck out of me. I also belong to a particular subculture within this area that is not well represented by regional or national statistics, so to look at those feels a bit like erasure if someone were to look at, say, my zip code, and assume what kind of person I am and what my interests are or what my health history must be.
At the same time, anecdotes can't provide that trending, population-level information because they're so self-selecting. I think a lot of us don't have a good sense of just how narrow our experiences can be and how much disparity there can be within a particular family or houses along a street. I grew up in a variety of regions in the US, some stereotyped as more health conscious than others, but to get back to @NorthCascades 's reply I always lived in new growth suburbs and my experience did not markedly change. My family culture, and the culture of those places, did not seem to vary much whether it was in the PNW, the Midwest, the Northeast, or even the South. But those "communities" were mostly made up of people who likewise had not grown up in the region they currently resided in and they had no intention of staying long term. My experience of those local cultures was mostly limited to how heavy my winter coat was and maybe a few food items.
Basically, to answer the OP, I'd have to say, sure it can play a role, but there's a lot of interplay between factors. I think it's a very human tendency to say, "Aha! I have a hammer, and now all of these things are nails," but it's usually a LOT more complicated than that in the details.
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Somebody describing working for Uber. This reminded me of the question of whether Americans walk. This isn't a fair answer of it's because of a heat wave, but still.
I had a particularly unpleasant experience once when I received a call for a mall pickup. It was in the summer and it was hot. When I arrived, four teenage girls piled into my car and had me drive them across the parking lot because it was too hot for them to walk to their car. The entire ride was not even a minute. They then gave me a low rating because I took too long to get to them and didn’t provide them with bottled iced water. I made $2.00 on a ride, got a lower rating which could cost me my job, and spent almost half an hour of my time on the ride.3 -
MargaretYakoda wrote: »Walkywalkerson wrote: »I haven't read the thread so sorry if I'm repeating anything.
I'm in the UK in a small city with a lot of green space etc ..
It is unusual to see very obese people here - the majority are of a normal weight.
Of course fast food is available but it is balanced with a lot of healthier options because there is a high demand for it.
Hey. I have a question.
I live in the US. I’ve lived in a few different areas over the years. And even in the urban areas there were few parks compared to where I lived in British Columbia.
What parks there are will have a running track, usually. But as far as exercise equipment? That’s about it.
OK soccer fields and tennis courts exist.
But not balance beams and chin up bars, like I saw frequently in BC.
Also? In BC there was a little neighborhood park everywhere as far as I could see. In the urban and suburban areas, anyhow.
I developed the idea that since healthcare was paid for by the government, it was in the best interest of the government to provide as much opportunity to exercise as they could.
So. My question: Are there little parks within easy walking distance in urban and suburban areas in the UK? Parks with things like chin up bars and balance beams?
Do you think parks having chin up bars and balance beams would affect the obesity rate? I really don't, and I grew up near a park (in the US) with lots of exercise stops (although not specifically those things). I don't think it added to just having running/walking/biking areas (which this place had a ton of) in effect.
Where I live in the US there are tons of parks and it is very walkable/runnable and there are easily accessible bike paths.0 -
NorthCascades wrote: »Walkywalkerson wrote: »I agree with Turtlemummy that herd mentality is definitely an influence.
I just read an article from a newspaper that stated people in the States consider a 30 minute walk too far!
I find that unbelievable and no wonder obesity is an epidemic there!
I'll try and post the link.
In USA a pedestrian is a person who just parked their car.
IMO, this is an over generalization. I have always lived in areas where one can use public transportation and walk for all shopping, and still do. I lived here for 14 years before getting a car and only did bc I have to drive to the 'burbs sometimes for work, wanted to be able to do longer road trips w/o renting a car, and wanted to be able to go to biking paths in the 'burbs (there are also lots in the city). I walk a ton for shopping and to get to friends or for public transit (my L stop isn't so close, although I could bus to it, walking is a nice way to get in steps).
Lots of people where I live bike a lot (I sometimes do), and there is a well-used Divvy system. I know you bike a lot, so that puzzles me more about your over generalization about people in the US. I know many who don't even own cars, as I didn't for years, and my sister and a good friend don't even have licenses.
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MargaretYakoda wrote: »Walkywalkerson wrote: »I haven't read the thread so sorry if I'm repeating anything.
I'm in the UK in a small city with a lot of green space etc ..
It is unusual to see very obese people here - the majority are of a normal weight.
Of course fast food is available but it is balanced with a lot of healthier options because there is a high demand for it.
Hey. I have a question.
I live in the US. I’ve lived in a few different areas over the years. And even in the urban areas there were few parks compared to where I lived in British Columbia.
What parks there are will have a running track, usually. But as far as exercise equipment? That’s about it.
OK soccer fields and tennis courts exist.
But not balance beams and chin up bars, like I saw frequently in BC.
Also? In BC there was a little neighborhood park everywhere as far as I could see. In the urban and suburban areas, anyhow.
I developed the idea that since healthcare was paid for by the government, it was in the best interest of the government to provide as much opportunity to exercise as they could.
So. My question: Are there little parks within easy walking distance in urban and suburban areas in the UK? Parks with things like chin up bars and balance beams?
Meant to answer this earlier, but forgot until I saw Lemur's response.
The park where I've been starting my post-rowing walks this summer has one of those outdoor workout-station kinds of areas, though not chin up bars or balance beams specifically. There are things like lat pulldown, chest press, leg press, leg raise, dips, and some others (don't remember all of them), with bodyweight as the resistance, or a fixed weight. (For example, when you do the seated pull-downs, the seat raises as well as the handles moving downward, so that your bodyweight is what provides the weight/resistance.)
It's rarely used, but I've seen some people use it. Before recent surgery, I started using parts of it myself, at the end of my walk, just as an experiment. It's entertaining, but a little ineffective IMO: For me, some parts are too easy (leg press, for example), and some are too hard (things where I need to support my bodyweight on my forearms - shoulder joints shriek). I assume it'd be variously ineffective in similar ways for other people. Once I'm cleared, I'll probably start using some of the stations again just for the grins (doing it > not doing it, in fitness terms).
There used to be more of these kinds of areas, like alongside running paths there would be stations, intermittently. I think they got little use, weren't replaced when they wore out. In a world with gyms where the cost per month is less than buying a pizza, I can't see this sort of thing as very useful in a place (like here) where it's too cold to be pleasant for several months of the year, and too hot to be pleasant for another couple of months, and the workout stations aren't all that effective anyway.
What *is* popular here IME, is the school systems' adult education fitness classes, and/or low-cost open gym/weight-room or swimming pool evening hours . . . when we're not in the midst of a pandemic, anyway.4 -
When I lived in a midsized city my world was pretty much within two miles of my house - grocery stores, restaurants, library, drug store, medical care and more. Now I live in the country and anything within a 2 HOUR drive is an option. Walking or biking around here would involve roads with no shoulders and unrestrained dogs. The heat and the hills I can manage.3
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When I was in China, there were huge outdoor adult playgrounds - and many many local people using them.
They were sort of a meeting place for retired people - people used the equipment as well as playing ad hoc physical group games like handball and sedentary games like cards or backgammon or doing calligraphy with water painting on the ground
People spent many hours there.
Here in Australia there are sometimes little sections of adult equipment next to the children's equipment or sometimes stand alone along the beach boardwalk or similar.
Ive noticed adults using them for a few minutes, never a serious workout, more just a little have a try thing or occupy yourself while your child is on the children's stuff.
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NorthCascades wrote: »Walkywalkerson wrote: »I agree with Turtlemummy that herd mentality is definitely an influence.
I just read an article from a newspaper that stated people in the States consider a 30 minute walk too far!
I find that unbelievable and no wonder obesity is an epidemic there!
I'll try and post the link.
In USA a pedestrian is a person who just parked their car.
IMO, this is an over generalization. I have always lived in areas where one can use public transportation and walk for all shopping, and still do. I lived here for 14 years before getting a car and only did bc I have to drive to the 'burbs sometimes for work, wanted to be able to do longer road trips w/o renting a car, and wanted to be able to go to biking paths in the 'burbs (there are also lots in the city). I walk a ton for shopping and to get to friends or for public transit (my L stop isn't so close, although I could bus to it, walking is a nice way to get in steps).
Lots of people where I live bike a lot (I sometimes do), and there is a well-used Divvy system. I know you bike a lot, so that puzzles me more about your over generalization about people in the US. I know many who don't even own cars, as I didn't for years, and my sister and a good friend don't even have licenses.
I hoped it wouldn't come to this, but I'm going to tell the truth. "A pedestrian in America is someone who just parked their car" is a joke I heard years ago and mostly forgot, but became relevant again when somebody asked if Americans really refuse to walk. I hoped people would just think I was funny and clever. 🙂3 -
NorthCascades wrote: »NorthCascades wrote: »Walkywalkerson wrote: »I agree with Turtlemummy that herd mentality is definitely an influence.
I just read an article from a newspaper that stated people in the States consider a 30 minute walk too far!
I find that unbelievable and no wonder obesity is an epidemic there!
I'll try and post the link.
In USA a pedestrian is a person who just parked their car.
IMO, this is an over generalization. I have always lived in areas where one can use public transportation and walk for all shopping, and still do. I lived here for 14 years before getting a car and only did bc I have to drive to the 'burbs sometimes for work, wanted to be able to do longer road trips w/o renting a car, and wanted to be able to go to biking paths in the 'burbs (there are also lots in the city). I walk a ton for shopping and to get to friends or for public transit (my L stop isn't so close, although I could bus to it, walking is a nice way to get in steps).
Lots of people where I live bike a lot (I sometimes do), and there is a well-used Divvy system. I know you bike a lot, so that puzzles me more about your over generalization about people in the US. I know many who don't even own cars, as I didn't for years, and my sister and a good friend don't even have licenses.
I hoped it wouldn't come to this, but I'm going to tell the truth. "A pedestrian in America is someone who just parked their car" is a joke I heard years ago and mostly forgot, but became relevant again when somebody asked if Americans really refuse to walk. I hoped people would just think I was funny and clever. 🙂
I have this very vague memory of hearing someone tell this joke (Jay Leno?), but instead of "America," it was "Los Angeles."1 -
For me, yes.
I grew up in Toronto area. Had a gym membership for much of my life and never used it because I didnt want to walk there and back.
Now I'm in rural northern Ontario. Closest gym is an hr each way but my lifestyle forces me too be functionally fit, moreso than I've ever been in my life.
For example, if i dont cut, split and stack 10 cord of firewood each summer, we freeze. If we dont hunt, grow and fish, we spend extraordinary amounts of money on food when it's better spent elsewhere.
My hobbies are mainly outdoor because that's what this area is known for is the outdoor opportunities.0 -
NorthCascades wrote: »Walkywalkerson wrote: »I agree with Turtlemummy that herd mentality is definitely an influence.
I just read an article from a newspaper that stated people in the States consider a 30 minute walk too far!
I find that unbelievable and no wonder obesity is an epidemic there!
I'll try and post the link.
In USA a pedestrian is a person who just parked their car.
IMO, this is an over generalization. I have always lived in areas where one can use public transportation and walk for all shopping, and still do. I lived here for 14 years before getting a car and only did bc I have to drive to the 'burbs sometimes for work, wanted to be able to do longer road trips w/o renting a car, and wanted to be able to go to biking paths in the 'burbs (there are also lots in the city). I walk a ton for shopping and to get to friends or for public transit (my L stop isn't so close, although I could bus to it, walking is a nice way to get in steps).
Lots of people where I live bike a lot (I sometimes do), and there is a well-used Divvy system. I know you bike a lot, so that puzzles me more about your over generalization about people in the US. I know many who don't even own cars, as I didn't for years, and my sister and a good friend don't even have licenses.
Your comments on vehicle ownership relfect very specific personal experience. In the US 91% of households have at least one vehicle.
In fact almost 25%;of US households have 3 or more vehicles compared to the 9% that have none.0 -
Theoldguy1 wrote: »NorthCascades wrote: »Walkywalkerson wrote: »I agree with Turtlemummy that herd mentality is definitely an influence.
I just read an article from a newspaper that stated people in the States consider a 30 minute walk too far!
I find that unbelievable and no wonder obesity is an epidemic there!
I'll try and post the link.
In USA a pedestrian is a person who just parked their car.
IMO, this is an over generalization. I have always lived in areas where one can use public transportation and walk for all shopping, and still do. I lived here for 14 years before getting a car and only did bc I have to drive to the 'burbs sometimes for work, wanted to be able to do longer road trips w/o renting a car, and wanted to be able to go to biking paths in the 'burbs (there are also lots in the city). I walk a ton for shopping and to get to friends or for public transit (my L stop isn't so close, although I could bus to it, walking is a nice way to get in steps).
Lots of people where I live bike a lot (I sometimes do), and there is a well-used Divvy system. I know you bike a lot, so that puzzles me more about your over generalization about people in the US. I know many who don't even own cars, as I didn't for years, and my sister and a good friend don't even have licenses.
Your comments on vehicle ownership relfect very specific personal experience. In the US 91% of households have at least one vehicle.
In fact almost 25%;of US households have 3 or more vehicles compared to the 9% that have none.
Poster lives in Chicago, where they reference living for 14 years before owning a car. Don’t think there was a general statement being made about vehicle ownership outside of experience in the city. I live in the suburbs and drilled (military) like 20 miles South of downtown Chicago for the last 5 years, a lot of my soldiers were from Chicago. Most did not own a car and a handful did not have or maintain their driver’s licenses. Conversations I had about this were it was far more inconvenient and expensive to own one in the city than to walk, use public transportation, or Uber, etc. Due to difficulty finding and cost of parking, insurance premium, and car payment most wouldn’t bother. Also Chicago winters are brutal, who wants to dig a car out of street parking in the city?!1 -
Theoldguy1 wrote: »NorthCascades wrote: »Walkywalkerson wrote: »I agree with Turtlemummy that herd mentality is definitely an influence.
I just read an article from a newspaper that stated people in the States consider a 30 minute walk too far!
I find that unbelievable and no wonder obesity is an epidemic there!
I'll try and post the link.
In USA a pedestrian is a person who just parked their car.
IMO, this is an over generalization. I have always lived in areas where one can use public transportation and walk for all shopping, and still do. I lived here for 14 years before getting a car and only did bc I have to drive to the 'burbs sometimes for work, wanted to be able to do longer road trips w/o renting a car, and wanted to be able to go to biking paths in the 'burbs (there are also lots in the city). I walk a ton for shopping and to get to friends or for public transit (my L stop isn't so close, although I could bus to it, walking is a nice way to get in steps).
Lots of people where I live bike a lot (I sometimes do), and there is a well-used Divvy system. I know you bike a lot, so that puzzles me more about your over generalization about people in the US. I know many who don't even own cars, as I didn't for years, and my sister and a good friend don't even have licenses.
Your comments on vehicle ownership relfect very specific personal experience. In the US 91% of households have at least one vehicle.
In fact almost 25%;of US households have 3 or more vehicles compared to the 9% that have none.
Poster lives in Chicago, where they reference living for 14 years before owning a car. Don’t think there was a general statement being made about vehicle ownership outside of experience in the city. I live in the suburbs and drilled (military) like 20 miles South of downtown Chicago for the last 5 years, a lot of my soldiers were from Chicago. Most did not own a car and a handful did not have or maintain their driver’s licenses. Conversations I had about this were it was far more inconvenient and expensive to own one in the city than to walk, use public transportation, or Uber, etc. Due to difficulty finding and cost of parking, insurance premium, and car payment most wouldn’t bother. Also Chicago winters are brutal, who wants to dig a car out of street parking in the city?!
I posted more as a point of clarification to those outside the US. The no car experiences @lemurcat2 mentions and those of the people you drilled with are not common for the vast majority of US residents.2
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