I read Tara Parker-Pope's New York Times Magazine article The Fat Trap with great interest.  We recently blogged about new research that suggests that even small amounts of daily exercise (such as a walk to the MAX station or a 5 mile bike ride) can overcome the so-called "fat-mass and obesity genes."  Parker-Pope's article shows just how difficult maintaining weight loss can be for obese people.

The Bridges Family, featured in the article Image: Davis Enterprise

Jan and Adam Bridges are featured in the article. There are a number of factors that contribute to the couple's constant battle against obesity.  But what caught my attention was The Bridges' exercise regime.  They bicycle - a lot. 

That makes sense.  Bicycling is a good exercise and low impact on the body.  But I didn't think about where they bicycle until I checked out the pictorial slideshow that accompanies the article. 

The Bridges live in Davis, CA, which is widely considered one of the best places to bicycle in the U.S.  While the Bridges don't refer to Davis' bike-friendliness, I believe that the city's various trails and bike-dedicated infrastructure helped the couple find an exercise routine (which, by the way includes using the bicycle for trips to the gym to work out!) that contributed to their amazing story.

I highly recommend the article.  Parker-Pope's ability to intertwine her personal story with the Bridges' history and current scientific research trends illuminates the human side of our country's obesity epidemic.