August 28, 2003 In the first such national study, health researchers found that people who live in counties marked by sprawl-style development tend to weigh more, are more likely to be obese and are more likely to suffer from high blood pressure. Click here to download the full report (PDF) Click here to download the Executive Summary (PDF) Click here to download the press release from Smart Growth America and the Surface Transportation Policy Project (PDF) Download “Relationship Between Urban Sprawl and Physical Activity, Obesity, and Morbidity,” by the American Journal of Health Promotion (PDF)

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Related Coverage

Urban Sprawl Piles on the Pounds (BBC, Aug. 30, 2003)
As Suburbs Grow, So Do Our Waistlines (New York Times, Sept. 4, 2003)
Studies Tie Urban Sprawl to Health Risks, Road Danger (USA Today, Aug. 28, 2003)
Study Links Health to Neighborhood Design (NPR, Aug. 29, 2003)