Democratic Assemblymember Bill Monning says the projections for diseases such as diabetes are out of control, but local planning can change that.
MONNING:"If we get smarter in our growth and development we can also realize better public health and minimize some of the disparities in what we call social equity."This January, Monning hopes to move his bill that would create state guidelines for local governments and transportation planners.
The idea is to encourage them to consider public health when developing housing, roadways and business.
Supporters of the bill says that could help control rates of obesity, asthma and even depression for future generations.
MONNING: "We want to free our children from having adult
lives dependent on medical management and they should be able to
enjoy their adult lives learning, recreating, and contributing to
their communities."
The state health guidelines would not be mandatory.