Complete Streets Initiative Addresses Physical Activity and Obesity in Louisiana

Louisiana has one of the highest rates of obesity (36%) in the United States. To reduce obesity rates in Lake Charles, Louisiana, Calcasieu Parish convened a multi-sector coalition through the Southwest Louisiana Area Health Education Center to make active lifestyles safe and convenient for everyone. In June 2017, Lake Charles City Council successfully implemented Complete Streets, an initiative that increases access to places for physical activity by using multiple strategies to make a community more walkable or bikeable. Lake Charles now has 6 miles of bike paths and plans to add pedestrian-friendly crosswalks and sidewalks.

Click here to read the full article featured by the Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in the publication “Success Stories,” on July 12, 2018. The publication was written by Mikal Giancola, Comprehensive Cancer Manager, Louisiana Cancer Prevention and Control Programs (LCP), LSUHSC School of Public Health.