Heavy weight of car travel

The inbound morning peak-hour traffic on Thompsons Road. Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS.

By ALANA MITCHELSON

CASEY Mayor Sam Aziz has warned residents of the health risks involved with driving for long periods after new research revealed that those who drive more than one hour each day are more susceptible to gaining weight.
He said this study was a reminder of the need for a dedicated national infrastructure fund to ease congestion on Casey’s major thoroughfares so residents arrive at their destinations sooner and spend less time in their cars.
The Australian Catholic University (ACU) study showed that those who drive one hour or more each day, on average, gain more than two kilograms in weight and are 1.5cm wider around the waist.
Those who spent 15 minutes or less in their cars did not show significant signs of weight gain or related health risks.
Men were also found to be more likely than women to put on weight due to prolonged time spent behind the wheel.
Cr Aziz said Casey had one of the highest levels of car ownership in the state.
“Car travel accounts for over 88 per cent of journeys to work,” he said.
“Time spent commuting means residents have limited time to prepare quality meals and exercise.
“Residents in growth areas, on average, travel at least 20 kilometres to their place of employment.
“Due to the state of the road network and the high levels of congestion faced by people trying to reach work, schools and other essential services during peak periods, our residents can often spend over an hour commuting each way to work.
“In addition to the personal costs, such as increased reliance on cars, time away from families, increased childcare costs, there are significant community costs associated with long commutes such as decreased volunteerism and decreased recreational activity, which has a major impact on sports clubs, other community service providers and overall community health.”
Lead researcher and ACU professor Takemi Sugiyama said his study would provide a more “comprehensive evidence base to underpin advocacy of active transport options”.
“Transport sectors have been trying to promote active travel mainly to reduce congestion, air pollution, and the proliferation of automobile related infrastructure.
“Such efforts can be further supported by producing a compelling body of evidence on the adverse health impacts,” Mr Sugiyama said.
“Collaborative research between the health, transport, and planning sectors has considerable potential to promote active travel further and to broaden the base for cardio-metabolic disease prevention initiatives.”
The study assessed the driving habits of 2800 adults from the Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle study against health measures including body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, fasting plasma glucose and a range of cardio-metabolic risk factors.