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The Travel—Obesity Connection: Discerning the Impacts of Commuting Trips with the Perspective of Individual Energy Expenditure and Time Use

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  • Jiawen Yang

    (School of Urban Planning and Design, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen, China, 518055)

  • Steven French

    (School of City and Regional Planning, Georgia Institute of Technology, 245 4th Street NW, Suite 204, Atlanta, GA 30332-0155, USA)

Abstract

It has been widely reported that individual travel has significant implications for obesity. In this research we try to clarify the connection between travel and obesity from an individual energy-expenditure perspective. It is hypothesized here that individual travel affects the likelihood of becoming obese not only directly through a reliance on automobile-based travel that requires low amounts of individual energy expenditure, but also indirectly through the fatigue and stress stemming from driving, which reduces time available for physical activities and exercise. We use the American Time Use Survey ( http://www.bls.gov/tus/ ) for 2003–08 and its Eating and Health Module for 2006 and 2007 to examine individual travel, energy expenditure, and obesity. Empirical analysis illustrates how individual body mass index (BMI) and individual travel are correlated and how this correlation can be explained from the perspective of individual energy expenditure. In addition, a distinction is drawn between commuting and noncommuting trips: Commuting trips have a relatively larger impact on individual BMI. Analysis results point to a potential to reduce obesity rates through planning efforts at the regional level.

Suggested Citation

  • Jiawen Yang & Steven French, 2013. "The Travel—Obesity Connection: Discerning the Impacts of Commuting Trips with the Perspective of Individual Energy Expenditure and Time Use," Environment and Planning B, , vol. 40(4), pages 617-629, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:envirb:v:40:y:2013:i:4:p:617-629
    DOI: 10.1068/b38076
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Maria Sagrario Floro & Marjorie Miles, 2003. "Time use, work and overlapping activities: evidence from Australia," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 27(6), pages 881-904, November.
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    Cited by:

    1. Ignacio Gimenez-Nadal, J. & Molina, Jose Alberto & Velilla, Jorge, 2018. "The commuting behavior of workers in the United States: Differences between the employed and the self-employed," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 19-29.
    2. Qiang Niu & Haihan Qu & Xuerui Niu & Jie Zhao & Zhigang Li & Jie Zhou, 2018. "The Impact of Spatial Distribution of Commercial Facilities in Communities on Residents’ Walking-Based Consumption Behavior: A Case Study in Wuhan, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-16, October.
    3. Lizhen Zhao & Zhenjiang Shen & Yanji Zhang & Yan Ma, 2019. "The Impact of the Community Built Environment on the Walking Times of Residents in a Community in the Downtown Area of Fuzhou," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-11, January.

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