Get Active: Transit Looks Good On You

It is unlikely anyone will look at you and say, “You look great – have you been riding the bus?” But they could because, as a study in the UK has shown, people who use active and transit modes of transportation are thinner than those who drive. In the study authors’ words: “Our findings show a robust, independent association between active commuting and two objective markers of obesity, BMI and percentage body fat. Those who used active and public transport modes had a lower BMI and percentage body fat compared with those who used private transport.” 

It is well known that physical activity is good for us, and therefore that active transportation modes like walking and biking are parts of a healthy lifestyle. But transit? Yes, riding the bus and the train are good for you. It’s likely that these results are due to the fact that one typically needs to walk or bike to and from transit stops. So, trying to slim down? Do yourself and your city a healthy favor and get on the bus!


Study: Transit Commuters Have Less Body Fat Than Those Who Drive To Work

Angie SchmittStreetsblog USA | August 21, 2014

Those who commute by car are piling on the pounds faster than people who ride bikes — and take transit — to work, according to a recent study published in the British Medical Journal.

The study looked at health and commuting data over time for about 7,500 people in the United Kingdom. When controlling for factors like income, level of activity at work, and age, researchers found that commuting by foot, bike, or public transit was “significantly associated” with lower obesity metrics.

This finding might not be all that surprising, but researchers say scientific evidence that active commuting helps maintain a healthy body weight has been scant. The study also found that transit riders had slightly better numbers than those who walked or rode bikes to work. 

Read more

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *