香雪海Jackie
Mass Transit Encourages Exercise and Weight Loss City planners and citizens alike frequently push for better public transportation. They argue that it can lessen traffic and reduce emissions from cars. Now there’s a new reason to be gung-ho about public transit—it helps make people skinnier. That’s according to a study published in the August issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.Researchers surveyed communities in Charlotte, North Carolina. One survey was done before the city had finished building a new light rail system, and the second was done from 12 to 18 months after the rail’s completion. They asked about the residents’ level of physical activity, body mass and use of public transportation before and after the light rail. Turns out that people who started using light rail to commute had a significant average weight loss over that time—equivalent to about six and a half pounds for a five-foot-five person. The users were also 81 percent less likely to become obese over the time scale surveyed.The researchers say that an environment based on mass transit influences health, because rail users get exercise walking to and from stops. And since illness is costly, here’s another way public transit saves money.Vocabulary:Tend: 倾向于 Transit：运输；运送 Frequently：经常地 Emission：释放；排放 Gung-ho：狂热的 Preventive：预防的 Survey：调查 Commute：（乘公交车、火车、汽车等）上下班往返 Significant：显著的 Equivalent：相等的，相同的 Costly：昂贵的 公共交通有利于锻炼和减肥 城市规划者和居民常常极力要求改善公共运输条件。他们声称，好的公交能减轻交通堵塞，同时较少私家车的尾气排放。现在，对公交的“狂热”又有了一个新的理由——它有助于人们的身材变得更苗条。发表在《美国预防医学杂志》（American Journal of Preventive Medicine）八月份期刊上的一项研究得出了上述结论。研究者们调查了位于北卡罗来纳州夏洛特市的一些社区。其中一项研究调查在该市的新轻轨系统建成之前完成，另外一项研究在轻轨建成后的12至18个月之间完成。研究者们询问了该地居民的活动量、体重以及在轻轨建成前和建成后使用公共交通的情况。调查结果表明，在这期间，对于开始使用轻轨上下班的人，他们平均体重的减少很明显——相当于一名5.5英尺身高的人减少了约6.5磅。对于使用轻轨上下班的这些人，他们在调查期间变得肥胖的机会也要少81%。研究者们称，基于大众公交的生活环境对健康产生影响，这是因为使用轻轨的人在站点的往返中得到了锻炼。另外既然看病很昂贵，那么使用公交不失为省钱的又一妙招。
