The chronic health woes of the Bronx, the borough with the highest rates of diabetes and obesity, are usually blamed on diet. But soda isn’t the only determinant of health; sit-ups matter, too. City Limits’ 2014-2015 Bronx Investigative Internship Program looked at how access to private gyms, bike lanes and physical education in schools affected the borough. The work was generously supported by the Simon Bolivar Foundation.
For the second time in four years, a city comptroller has faulted the city school system for failing to provide adequate physical education—but been unable to assess the full scope of the issue because of gaps in the data.
Long commutes, hills and other obstacles also help to explain why borough-wide biking rates are lowest in the Bronx.
Does the Bronx work out less than Manhattan because it has far fewer gyms? Or does it have fewer gyms because it works out less?