© 2005 BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
BOOK REVIEW
Health and community design: the impact of the built environment on physical activity
Edited by L Frank, P Engelke, T Schmid. Washington, DC: 2003, $30.00, pp 253. ISBN 1-55963-917-2
| The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below. |
Sedentary behaviour is a major cause of poor health worldwide both through the direct effects of inactivity on health and indirectly via its contribution to obesity. Health and Community Design describes the role of the built environment as a potential contributor to physical inactivity and suggests ways in which communities could be structured to encourage or require physical activity, particularly walking and bicycling.
The "built environment" is defined broadly as "...the form and character of communities" encompassing land use patterns, urban design characteristics, and transportations systems. Frank et al emphasise the influence of the built environment on physical activity and they effectively describe its potential role as a determinant of obesity. However, obesity is likely to be influenced by factors in addition to physical activity, particularly diet. This book highlights the need for a comprehensive assessment of how the built environment influences diverse determinants of energy balance, including diet, and
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