ABSTRACT
This chapter builds the case that in moving urban development patterns away from low-denisty sprawl to compact and integrated patterns, urban containment contributes favorably to public health. Obesity and the increasing number of overweight Americans are far from the only public health issues plaguing the United States (US); in fact, a whole range of chronic diseases are increasing at an alarming rate, including asthma and other acute respiratory illnesses. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), both child and adult obesity rates in the United States have doubled since the 1980s. The revised US Dietary Guidelines came out in January 2005. The guidelines, issued jointly by the departments of Health and Human Services and Agriculture, say that people should exercise 30 minutes each day to improve their health, 60 minutes a day to keep from gaining weight, and up to 90 minutes a day to sustain weight loss.
