CYCLING SUPPORTS HEALTHY KIDS, HEALTHY FAMILIES AND HEALTHY NEIGHBORHOODS

Jonathan Maus / bikeportland.org

There is a health crisis facing our region that threatens the economic fabric of our region. The obesity rate for kids between the ages of 12 and 19 has more than tripled in the past fifteen years. Tripled. Investing in safe routes to school, investing in getting our city moving, investing in cycling is imperative or we risk watching the cost of medical care cripple our economy. Build this plan for the health of our citizens and economy.

FACTS:

Active commuting that incorporates cycling and walking is associated with an overall 11% reduction in cardiovascular risk.

Women who walk or bike 30+ minutes a day have a lower risk of breast cancer.

Adolescents who bike or walk to school watch less TV and are less likely to smoke than their peers who are driven to school. They also get more overall physical activity.

Children who ride a bike two or more times a week are less likely to be overweight.

Childhood asthma rates doubled between 1980 and the mid 1990s and remain at historically high levels.

Asthma is responsible for 14 million missed school days each year.

Three-quarters of American adults will be overweight or obese by 2015.

Countries with the highest levels of cycling and walking generally have the lowest obesity rates.

Read more about the link between health and cycling.