Comments on: Causes of death in LA County and healthy valley of villages?

By: Tim Myers

Tim Myers — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 19:33:02 +0000

I think obesity has more to do with the availability of calories than physical exercise, particularly in adults. When one looks at paintings from centuries ago the upper classes that had access to calories and had servants to do their physical labor one sees moribundly obese folks, and gout was a huge problem (Benjamin Franklin suffered from it.) Obesity was not rampant because the rest of the population was constantly suffering from borderline famine.

In the 21st century in North America there is wide availability of calories and much less physical labor, so it becomes arithmetic. Walking helps but one literally needs to walk about 10,000 steps or the equivalent of 6 miles a day to have any meaningful reduction in weight, something difficult to do without a treadmill.

This American Life had a segment about how, when people who have spent a lot of time in refugee camps where food is always short, come to this country as refugees they have to be prepared in advance for the sight of huge people. Remember their only experience of Americans are AID workers and soldiers, who are on the fit side, and movie and TV images.

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By: Need for Involved Citizenry

Need for Involved Citizenry — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 16:41:06 +0000

I’d love to see Jason Smisko reply to my question from yesterday! I always like it when a City representative posts something to sell their position but won’t respond to a question.

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By: Brenda (fred's wife)

Brenda (fred's wife) — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 04:49:08 +0000

I’m just kind of confused… here we are in the red-headed step child district and I see people walking everywhere, but they are not necessarily in the best shape. There are parks everywhere, which are super crowded! Hmmm… as a previous teacher in this area, children could identify TV programs, video games, and the latest McDonald’s toy faster than they could their math facts. For some reason, I don’t think a closer paseo will remedy that…

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By: ReaderMama

ReaderMama — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 04:40:43 +0000

I think the correlation between obesity and suburban living relates more to age, the necessity that women work, and the need to spend more time commuting to work than to the lack of recreational opportunities. When you’re young and without children or a long commute it is much easier to find the time to work out or make time for fun physical activities. Also, when both parents are working, and the weekends are spent doing household chores and hauling children to soccer games and such, there is a much bigger reliance on fast food than is healthy.

It is hard to maintain a healthy lifestyle in our go-go-go society. My advice to young couples starting out today would be to strive to live on one income and not get caught up in the modern suburban lifestyle competition.

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By: Whiskey Tango Foxtrot

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 04:28:39 +0000

A little trivia about “the lowlands” before there was such a thing. From the 1930′s thru the early 60′s that piece of beloved property that I once called home as well was a 4000′ runway. It ran SE to NW from current Wiley Canyon to just behind Granary Square (site of the terminal).

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By: mike

mike — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 23:25:47 +0000

I, too claim lowlands as my first SCV home, probably mere blocks from iHeart’s stomping grounds. Aside from the galvanized steel plumbing, it’s a swell place to live.

Old Orchard II is south of Wiley, a different hood.

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By: Need for Involved Citizenry

Need for Involved Citizenry — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 22:46:23 +0000

Jason:

Can you break out the planned unit split now versus OVOV between City and County? I’d like to see the specifics!

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By: IHeartSCV

IHeartSCV — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 22:38:10 +0000

JohnB, I grew up in that area, and we called it “the lowlands” (cf. the Summit) or “the ghetto of Valencia”, given that it was old relative to many of the other neighborhoods that comprise Valencia. Either of these labels is more descriptive and helpful than a reference to the housing tract. People living outside of the lowlands were referred to as “hill people” (evocation of Appalachia intentional); they lived at a slightly higher altitude and were spoken of in strictly disparaging terms.

I quite agree that it’s the best place in all of Santa Clarita.

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By: Jim Farley

Jim Farley — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 22:16:02 +0000

That happens to be my old hood. It is the Valencia Central Valley. It indeed has great access to paseos and the South Fork Trail

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By: MGutzeit

MGutzeit — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 21:20:40 +0000

Go Newhall. The trees are great and you see lots of people out walking or bike riding both morning and evening.

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