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Taking The Stairs Will Save Us All
By
Jen Carlson
Published Feb 2, 2010
Modified Feb 2, 2010
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By
Jen Carlson
Published Feb 2, 2010
Modified Feb 2, 2010
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Wait a second... aren't we thinner than the rest of the country, what with not having easy snack access? There's always room to be healthier, however, and the NY Post reports that an environmental panel can save us from gaining a total of 550,000 pounds per year. Their slimming solution is simple: use the stairs!
Their suggestion was one of many in a newly released report devised to make buildings more eco-friendly while promoting fitness. The NYC Green Codes Task Force wants stair access in our buildings increased—but more so than just opening the doors (as City Health Commissioner Thomas Farley did last year), they want more visible signage and transparent glass used to draw people to them. This would hopefully make using the stairs less of an afterthought.
One spokesman said, "Buildings are actually very important to the amount of exercise we do, and over the past century, fossil fuels [and technology] have replaced human power. Where we once walked up stairs, we now take an elevator. Where we once played outside, kids now play video games." The report says promoting stairs would cost little (some buildings already have signs that read "Burn Calories, Not Electricity. Take the Stairs!"), and in the end would help to prevent 18% of the city's average annual weight gain.
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Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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