It’s time for government to trim the fat

Can local government help you lose weight?  The answer, according to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, is a resounding “yes.”  A new report focuses on the troubling and rising tide of childhood obesity and finds that where you live has consequences, from healthy food availability, to active transportation options, to after-school activities.  Recommendations range from the obvious to the creative — from sidewalks and playgrounds, to taxes on junk food and zoning restrictions on fast-food.

Many of the findings and conclusions are not new, and will be familiar to those in the sustainability movement.  But to see this report come from an authority such as the Institute of Medicine brings the discussion to a new place. 

Not all of the recommendations will be appropriate for every community.  And each community will need to find its comfort level in balancing the right mix of carrots (literally) and sticks.  As the Associated Press summarizes: ”Yes, whether you snack on a carrot or a doughnut is a personal choice, ultimately. But the report by the Institute of Medicine says local environments hugely influence those choices — and it calls on city and county governments to make it easier for families to make healthier decisions.”