Walkability and Obesity Trends across Geographical Regions in the United States

Obesity has become a major concern for health officials in the United States. Rates of obesity are higher than ever before and as a result, consequential medical conditions have arisen in those who suffer from obesity; while at the same time, medical expenses are skyrocketing for these same individuals. In this study, I analyze regional trends in the United States of both obesity rates and walkability in 74 cities in the United States. After analyzing the data and constructing visual representations, I found that the Northeast region of the US is most walkable, while the Southeast and Southwestern regions are the least walkable. In regards to obesity rates, I found that the West had the lowest obesity rates in both 2010 and 2013, while the Midwest and the Southeast had a high obesity rate in both 2010 and 2013. Additionally, the Northeastern US had a high obesity rate in 2013.

肥胖已成为美国卫生官员面临的首要公共卫生关切。当前美国肥胖率屡创新高，由此引发肥胖人群罹患多种继发性疾病，同时该群体的医疗开支亦持续飙升。本研究针对美国74座城市的肥胖率与步行可及性（walkability）的区域趋势展开分析。通过数据解析与可视化呈现，本研究发现：美国东北部区域的步行可及性最高，而东南部与西南部区域的步行可及性最低。就肥胖率而言，2010年与2013年，美国西部的肥胖率均为全美最低；中西部与东南部在上述两个年份的肥胖率均居高不下。此外，美国东北部地区在2013年的肥胖率亦处于较高水平。