Highway expansion helped black Americans in the post-civil rights era
Chi and Parisi, 2011. (Guanqging Chi and Domenico Parisi—Department of Sociology and Social Science Research Center, Mississippi State University). “Highway Expansion Effects on Urban Racial Redistribution in the Post-Civil Rights Period,” Public Works Management Policy, 2011. 16:40. http://pwm.sagepub.com/content/16/1/40
To examine highway expansion effects on the redistribution of Blacks, the response variable is the difference of percentages of non-Hispanic Blacks between 2000 and 1970 (Table 3). Highway expansion was found to have a significant positive effect on Blacks in census tracts within 1 to 3 miles of highway expansion segments. That is, highway expansion promoted the concentration of non-Hispanic Blacks in census tracts at a distance of 1 to 3 miles from that expansion. Over the 30 years studied, the census tracts at a distance of 1 to 2 miles from highway expansion gained 13.4% more Blacks than others; the tracts at a distance of 2 to 3 miles from highway expansion gained 8.7% more Blacks than others. However, census tracts with 1 mile of highway expansion did not affect changes in the Black population. The results suggest that in the post–civil rights period, highway expansion affected Black redistribution as an amenity rather than a disamenity in the MWWA metropolitan area. Blacks took advantage of easier access to expanded highways and lived in neighborhoods 1 to 3 miles away from highways.
Deaths from weight are overstated. Improved health care and public health are lowering mortality rates for those who are overweight
Flegal, 2010. (Katherine M. Flegal, PhD--National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Hyattsville, Md and Center for Weight and Health, University of California at Berkeley) “The Obesity Epidemic” The Observer January 2010 http://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/getArticle.cfm?id=2599
In our work, we have also addressed issues of the number of deaths in the United States that are associated with different BMI levels. When we look at the most recent mortality data from following the 1988-94 survey through 2000, it suggests that the association of overweight — a BMI from 25-29.9 — and even of mild obesity — BMI 30-34.9 — with mortality is weak and not statistically significant. Although other measurements such as waist circumference are often thought to be better than BMI as indicators of risk, we found no significant differences between BMI and a number of other measures, with BMI actually associated more strongly with mortality than the other measures. One of our findings was that the association of weight and mortality seems to be much weaker in the more recent data, leading us to the suggestion that perhaps the association is diminishing over time, perhaps because of improvements in public health and in medical care, a suggestion that has proved to be somewhat surprisingly controversial.
Number of premature deaths are from those with extreme measures of obesity. For marginally obese, the figure is closer to 25,000 rather than 112,000
Flegal, et al. 2005. (Katherine M. Flegal, PhD--National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Hyattsville, Md and Center for Weight and Health, University of California at Berkeley; Barry I. Graubard, PhD-- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute David F. Williamson, PhD PhD--Division of Diabetes Translation, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Ga; Mitchell H. Gail, MD, PhD-- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, M.) “Excess Deaths Associated With Underweight, Overweight, and Obesity” Journal of the American Medical Association, April 20, 2005, Vol 293: No. 15 http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=200731
Using relative risks from the combined survey data, we estimated that 111 909 excess deaths in 2000 (95% CI, 53 754 to 170 064) were associated with obesity (BMI ≥30) (Figure 2). Of the excess deaths associated with obesity, the majority (82 066 deaths; 95% CI, 44 843 to 119 289) occurred in individuals with BMI 35 or greater. Overweight was associated with a slight reduction in mortality (−86 094 deaths; 95% CI, −161 223 to −10 966) relative to the normal weight category. Thus, for overweight and obesity combined (BMI ≥25), our estimate was 25 814 excess deaths (95% CI, −86 284 to 137 913) in 2000, arrived at by adding the estimate for obesity to the estimate for overweight. Underweight was associated with 33 746 excess deaths (95% CI, 15 726-51 766).
Of the 111 909 estimated excess deaths associated with obesity (BMI ≥30), the majority, 84 145 excess deaths, occurred in individuals younger than 70 years. In contrast, of the 33 746 estimated excess deaths associated with underweight, the majority, 26 666 excess deaths, occurred in individuals aged 70 years and older.
1NC No Health Harms CDC overestimates obesity statistics four-fold
Associated Press, 4-20-05, “Obesity Death Rate Lower than Thought,” http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,153944,00.html
Last year, a CDC study listed the leading causes of preventable death in order as tobacco; poor diet and inactivity, leading to excess weight; alcohol; germs; toxins and pollutants; car crashes; guns; risky sexual behavior; and illicit drugs.
Using the new estimate, excess weight would drop behind car crashes and guns to seventh place — a ranking the CDC is unwilling to make official, underscoring the controversy inside the agency over how to calculate the health effects of obesity.
Last year, the CDC issued a study that attributed 400,000 deaths a year to mostly weight-related causes and said excess weight would soon overtake tobacco as the top U.S. killer. After scientists inside and outside the agency questioned the figure, the CDC admitted making a calculation error and lowered its estimate three months ago to 365,000.
The new study attributes 111,909 deaths to obesity, but then subtracts the benefits of being modestly overweight, and arrives at the 25,814 figure.
CDC Director Dr. Julie Gerberding said because of the uncertainty in calculating the health effects of being overweight, the CDC is not going to use the new figure of 25,814 in its public awareness campaigns. And it is not going to scale back its fight against obesity.
Minority children are more likely to actively transit to school
Martin, et al. 2009. (Sarah Levin Martin, PhD—CDC, Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity, Refilwe Moeti, MA Nancy Pullen-Seufert, MPH) “Implementing Safe Routes to School: Application for the Socioecological Model and Issues to Consider”, Health Promotion Practice October 2009 Vol. 10, No. 4, 606-614, http://hpp.sagepub.com/content/10/4/606
A recent study examining income at the neighborhood level found that schools and public physical activity facilities (e.g., tennis courts, recreation centers) were significantly more likely to be in higher-SES and low-minority neighborhoods (Gordon-Larsen, Nelson, Page, & Popkin, 2006). This has implications for an SRTS program insofar as some students from these poor communities may not be able to walk or bicycle directly from their home to their school because it is too far away. It is interesting to note that, at the individual level, having a single parent (Fulton, Shisler, Yore, & Caspersen, 2005), having indicators of lower SES (Carlin et al., 1997), and being non- White (Evenson, Huston, McMillen, Bors, & Ward, 2003) are positively associated with active transportation to school. It is plausible that students with these characteristics who live within a mile or two of school walk to school out of necessity (e.g., lack of access to buses or cars) even though the environment is not conducive to physical activity.
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