Childhood obesity and asthma have increased dramatically in the last two decades (21, 2692) and are exacerbated by factors in the modern built environment. In addition, recent reductions in childhood injury are directly linked to the introduction of safety measures to housing construction and community and roadway planning. This section summarizes the trends in occurrence of these diseases and their links to risk factors in the built environment. Obesity is an important predictor of pediatric hypertension and increases risk of common and disabling adult conditions such as coronary artery disease, hypertension, dyslipidemia, osteoarthritis, diabetes mellitus, and some cancers.
