The Built Environment and Childhood Obesity.

Overview

Counseling on physical activity (PA) to promote a child's overall growth, development, and wellness is a routine part of a well child visit. Given less than a quarter of children in the United States ages 6 to 17 years get 60 minutes of PA daily, there is increased focus on the built environment, that is, neighborhood level supports and barriers to PA and risk for obesity. Broad-based consideration of the built environment's contribution to childhood obesity can inform public health prevention strategies at the individual, family, community, and societal levels that promote children's health, especially in high-risk communities.