And yet, others point to suburbia. Today, community layouts are not designed for people - only automobiles. Prior to this, traditional street grids encouraged walking and biking. Today, however, many areas lack sidewalks and traffic can make walking or biking dangerous. Government statistics show that between 1977 and 1995, walking trips made by Americans decreased from 25 percent to 10 percent and auto trips rose from 84 percent to 90 percent.
Experts suggest taking a look back at history to find an answer.
In the late 1800's and early 1900's parks were incorporated into city planning in the hope that getting people into the fresh air and sunshine would help to combat rickets and tuberculosis. Today, the answer may lie in getting people out of their cars and instead, walking and biking and re-engaging in an active lifestyle which may reduce the risks of heart disease, diabetes and other diseases. Researchers found that breast-feeding significantly reduced the risk of being overweight during adolescence but found less of an effect on weight during childhood. Similarly, another recent study found young children who were breastfed were less likely to develop a body mass index that put them at risk of being overweight. Results of the studies were published in the May 16th Journal of the American Medical Association .