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The Effect of Children Health (Obesity) due to Designs created by Landscape Architects
Brett T. Leavitt
LSA 220
Professor Fernandez
SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry
October 19, 2015
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Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to discuss the effect of health, specifically obesity, due to
designs created by landscape architects. The United States of America is among the top when it
comes to obesity and landscapes architects could help this epidemic. This paper will be
advocating for health to be a main theme in all designs created by landscape architects, such as
making schools within walking distance of homes, as well as the addition of furnished parks and
sidewalks. Because parks could be dangerous for adolescents, safety will have to be considered
as an additional theme. All areas of asphalt should be replaced with a park and/or sidewalks in
order to encourage walking or biking to desired destinations. There has been a multitude of
studies which have emphasized the concept of the relationship between physical movement and
obesity, the more physical movement is an indirect relationship to obesity. Additionally, there is
a growing concern for obesity related conditions which include heart disease, stroke, type two
diabetes and certain forms of cancer. These medical conditions have an effect on mortality rate,
in which Americans must take obesity more seriously. Landscapes architects throughout
America need to understand that this is a true public concern and they are the ones who could
have a major contribution in fixing this problem. America is ranked among the top when it
comes to obesity and this must end now, and landscape architects are the ones who will make
this change.
Introduction/ Background
At this point, it has been recorded that 78.6 million adult Americans are obese, which is
more than one-third of the American adult population, and 17.7 percent of the youth in America
are obese (Cynthia L. Ogden, Margaret D. Carroll, Brian K. Kit, & Katherine M. Flegal, 2014).
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In the past decade, there has been multiple bills and discussions within Congress in order to
attempt to help fix this epidemic based on all of the negatives which come with it. For example,
the fifty-state legislation on Childhood Obesity Policy Options Enacted in 2011, Preschool
Obesity Prevention, Nutrition Education, Physical Activity or Physical Education in School and
Recess Legislation, School Wellness Policies, etc. (Childhood Obesity – 2011 Update of
Legislative Policy Options, 2013). Also, there is the National School Lunch Program (NSLP)
which was established by the Richard B. National School Lunch Act and the School Breakfast
Program (SBP) which was created by the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (School Nutrition
Association, 2015). Additionally, every five years, “congress reviews and amends these
programs through Nutrition Reauthorization,” which resulted to the most recent reauthorization
law, The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, P.L. 111-296 (Congress, December 13, 2010).
Americans who are obese are facing predicaments socially and economically. Socially,
obese individuals are discriminated in the workplace, educational institutions, healthcare
facilities, and within interpersonal relationships (Rebecca Puhl). Additionally, children of all
ages have suffered from bullying based on their weight. The statistic has been posted, that fifty-
eight percent of male and sixty-three percent of female high school students experience a form of
bullying daily (JoAnn Stevelos). On an economic standpoint, in 2008 it was reported that the
estimated annual medical cost of obesity in the United States was 147 dollars per person, and
that the medical cost for obese individuals were 1429 dollars greater than individuals of
“normal” weight (Division of Nutrition, 2015). This cost is so high, primarily due to all of the
medical conditions which tend to come with obesity. In fact, “children and teenagers are at
greater risk for developing serious chronic diseases such as type two diabetes, heart disease, high
blood pressure, cancer and health conditions including asthma, sleep apnea, and psychosocial
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effects such as decreases self-esteem” (Childhood Obesity – 2011 Update of Legislative Policy
Options, 2013). Also according to researchers, fifty-percent of deaths are related to obesity-
related chronic diseases. Due to primarily one-third of American children being overweight or
obese, the national health care is spending nearly 150 billion dollars annually, and “taxpayers
fund about sixty billion of these costs through Medicare and Medicaid” (Childhood Obesity –
2011 Update of Legislative Policy Options, 2013). Also, “childhood obesity rates in the United
States have nearly tripled over the past three decades and today, an estimated 16.9 percent of
United States adolescents ages 2 to 19 are obese and 31.7 percent are either obese or overweight.
In sheer number, more than twelve million American children are obese and more than twenty
three million are either obese or overweight” (Childhood Obesity – 2011 Update of Legislative
Policy Options, 2013). These numbers are severe and should be taken into consideration because
a study recognized that there is a seventy percent chance that an overweight adolescent will be
overweight or obese as an adult. (Childhood Obesity – 2011 Update of Legislative Policy
Options, 2013) Additionally, obesity also creates a challenge for national security because
obesity has become among the greatest disqualifications for military service. (Childhood Obesity
– 2011 Update of Legislative Policy Options, 2013) According to Laura Jackson, a research
biologist and a thirteen- year veteran of the United Stated Environmental Protection Agency’s
Office of Research and Development, “sufficient evidence exists to reveal urban design as a
powerful tool for improving human condition” (Jackson, 2003).
This paper is to persuade the landscape architects throughout the United States of
America to deliberately think about the issue of obesity and how it relates to their occupation.
All of the landscape architects in America should not only think about this topic while forming
their designs, but design around such a paramount topic. In fact, it should be regulated by the
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government for every landscape to include benefits towards health. It is truly amazing how one
would not want to pursue in finding a solution for such an abominable issue when they can, even
if it is in the smallest manner. This minor change could affect the whole country in such a great
way and it is mindboggling to why a landscape architect wouldn’t want to take this opportunity
to shape the world for the better. There has been few landscape Architecture firms which have
recognized the importance of health like the Lafayette Greens in Detroit because the architects
have designed the area to have local markets with fresh fruits and vegetables and to be a
walkable community (Dr. Ming (Frances) Kuo, n.d.). Also, for “large scale urban parks like
Rock Creek Parkway in Washington, D.C. allow people places to exercise in beautiful outdoor
settings” (Dr. Ming (Frances) Kuo, n.d.). Landscape architects need to stop being bystanders in
the means of waiting for a colleague to initiate the idea of making health a key concern in their
designs because if this continues then America’s obesity rate will continue to increase, which is
the last thing anybody wants. The landscape architects in America must start examining the
important issues that they can fix, rather than just concentrating on the typical topics, which
could help save the world.
Purpose/Objectives
This paper focuses on a multitude of issues, due to each topic leading into an additional concern.
The primary focus of this paper is to help landscape architects understand the significance they
have in creating a healthier society in the United States. This topic falls under a major umbrella
since the designs that landscape architects are creating are effecting the weight of Americans,
which leads to other serious weight-related medical diseases. All landscape architects must feel
the need to incorporate the concept of health in their designs. In essence, all landscape architects
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should put additional furnished parks in their designs in order to help childhood obesity. The
reasoning for the word “furnished” is because multiple individuals around a community will not
engage in a park if it becomes a place where only rust and disorderly conduct take place. Also,
when it comes to a community, the individuals will go to places that attract them which is
another reason why the parks must be kept in great condition. These landscape architects would
allow pedestrians to walk or bike to any desired destination, as stated above. This would include
adults being able to walk to work and other destinations, like markets and convenient stores. This
would not only decrease the obesity rate within the United States but would additionally rescue
the environment from the unnecessary fossil fuels which are burned from the engines of vehicles.
Also, the individuals who would typically be paying for gas each day will now be able to save
their money since walking has no cost, economically. This concept of landscape architects
incorporating health in their design would also help prevent child obesity, help individuals from
an economic stand point, and will benefit the environment.
Findings/Conclusions
Figure 1: Prevalence trends for Child overweight and obesity in the USA and eight low-income
and middle-income countries
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(Prevalence trends for child overweight and obesity in the USA and eight low-Income and
middle-income countries)
Figure 2: Percentage of Obese children between the ages of 5 to 17 In 15 major countries
(http://
www.phitamerica.org/Assets/PHIT+America+Digital+Assets/Obesity+Sedentary+Crisis/
obesity+by+country+2015.jpg)
As seen above in figure 1 and figure 2, the United States ranks among the top around the
world, and stand out when it comes to child obesity. It has been documented that Americans are
less likely to become overweight today than they were throughout the 2000s. Though, Americans
have a higher chance of becoming overweight than individuals in other countries, especially
children. Additionally, throughout the past thirty years, the average weight of an American child
has increased by more than eleven pounds according to credited researchers (Ferdman, 2015).
Landscape architects could help America decrease the percentage of Americans who are obese
by designing walkable communities that would allow individuals to get outside and walk.
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Figure 3: Medical Complications of Obesity
(https://www.bing.com/images/search?
q=medical+diseases+due+to+health+reated+issues&view=detailv2&&id=957572F42467391D14C2870AC6CDAB327EEB988C&selectedIndex
=0&ccid=%2f%2bUhK30T&simid=607991465185840179&thid=OIP.Mffe5212b7d13492f6325fe4a13570999o0&ajaxhist=0)
As seen in Figure 3, there are various medical complications of obesity. Obesity causes
individuals to have deathly diseases and other diseases which effect their daily life. Obesity has
such consequences to individuals of a society which is why landscape architects need to
brainstorm of ways to prevent obesity while creating a design of a landscape. These landscape
architects are the ones who could dictate these diseases because by creating a walkable
community, the obesity rate would decrease.
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Conclusion
It has been found that, “there have been no significant changes in obesity prevalence in
youth or adults between 2003 to 2004 and 2011 to 2012.” Hence, the people of the United States
of America have to make obesity a primary concern, which will then lead to landscape architects
coming to the realization that they must help solve this terrible epidemic (Cynthia L. Ogden,
Margaret D. Carroll, Brian K. Kit, & Katherine M. Flegal, 2014).
Landscape architects need to incorporate health in their designs to prevent obesity,
specifically childhood obesity. Every study read will show that as of right now America is not
helping their skyrocketing obesity rate, which needs to be stopped now. The data is clearly
stated, that at this rate obesity is just increasing, since no landscape architects are taking an
initiative to help this issue. If landscape architects would, there is no definite study that shows it
will have a definite effect but many studies have proceeded to explain that it would most
definitely help decrease obesity rate. It is evident that the more an individual moves, the less an
individual would weigh. Though it was found that “having parkland and recreational programs
nearby significantly reduced children’s risk of overweight and obesity when they reached age
18” (University of California, Berkely, 2011). In fact, it was found that locations surrounding a
child’s neighborhood and school could have a positive effect on the child’s physical activity.
Over a ten-year longitudinal study of more than three-thousand children that reside in Southern
California, it was found that the children who lived closer to parkland and recreational program
resulted in having a much lower Body Mass Index (BMI) at eighteen years of age than
individuals who lived a further distance from the parkland and recreational programs.
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(University of California, Berkely, 2011) Additionally, there were key research findings that
stated that “more than half of children in the study had no recreational programs within five-
hundred and fifty yards of their home.” This is an absurd statistic when research has found that
these parklands and recreational program have a great significance in reducing the risk of
overweight and obesity as measured by Body Mass Index (University of California, Berkely,
2011). Additionally, “researchers estimated that if all children in the study had matching
recreational programs near their homes, up to nine point five percent would move from
overweight to normal and approximately two percent would move from obese to overweight.”
(University of California, Berkely, 2011). Some simple solutions to the epidemic of childhood
obesity in the United States would be to design a more walkable community, the addition of
park, and the addition of recreation programs.
Landscape architects need to pursue the role of helping the problem of obesity in the
American society. Landscape architects must understand the importance of healthy, local food
systems and design additional gardens and places for people to want to exercise. The addition of
walking to Americans daily schedule will help fight obesity. With the addition of parklands and
recreational programs in landscape architects design, American society would be able to stand a
chance when compared to other counties when referring to obesity rate.
References
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(n.d.). Retrieved from
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