Active travel may have positive effects on health outcomes , but there is little robust evidence to date of the effectiveness of active transport interventions for reducing obesity .
BACKGROUND Increasing active travel ( primarily walking and cycling ) has been widely advocated for reducing obesity levels and achieving other population health benefits .
However , the strength of evidence underpinning this strategy is unclear .
This study aim ed to assess the evidence that active travel has significant health benefits .
Walking to Work Is an Independent Predictor of Incidence of Type 2 Diabetes in Japanese Men
Previous epidemiological studies have shown that vigorous physical activity reduces the development of type 2 diabetes ( 1–3 ) . A recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that individuals should engage in ≥30 min of moderate-intensity physical activity , such as brisk walking , on most days of the week for health promotion and disease prevention ( 4 ) ; however , it is unclear whether mild physical activity ( i.e. , walking to walk ) reduces the risk for type 2 diabetes . In the present study , we examined the relationship between walking to work  and the development of type 2 diabetes during a 4-year observational period . The Kansai Healthcare Study is an ongoing cohort investigation design ed to clarify the risk factors for cardiometabolic diseases . Between April 2000 and March 2001 , 12,647 male employees of a company in the area of Kansai , Japan , who were aged 40–55 years at entry and considered to be involved in sedentary jobs were enrolled in this study . All employees aged ≥40 years underwent annual detailed medical check-ups . The protocol for this research was review ed by the Human Subjects Review Committee at Osaka City University . For current analysis , study participants consisted of 11,073 Japanese men aged 40–55 years at entry with a fasting plasma glucose ( FPG ) < 126 mg/dl and not taking oral hypoglycemic medication or insulin . A 4-year follow-up examination after baseline was conducted between April 2004 and March 2005 . We excluded 53 men because of death and 2,016 men because of
Active travel may have positive effects on health outcomes , but there is little robust evidence to date of the effectiveness of active transport interventions for reducing obesity .
BACKGROUND Increasing active travel ( primarily walking and cycling ) has been widely advocated for reducing obesity levels and achieving other population health benefits .
However , the strength of evidence underpinning this strategy is unclear .
This study aim ed to assess the evidence that active travel has significant health benefits .