Populist Proof: Commuting is bad for you

Americans with longer commutes suffer higher levels of back pain, higher cholesterol, and higher levels of obesity.

After surveying 173,581 employed Americans over the past year, a recent Gallup-Healthway's survey has concluded that American workers with lengthy commutes are more likely to report a range of adverse physical and emotional conditions, leading to lower overall scores on the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index.

Those Americans who commute more worry more, experience less enjoyment, and feel less well-rested.

Richard Florida summizes this well noting that "Commuting is a health and psychological hazard. It’s time to put commuting right beside smoking and obesity on the list of priorities for improving the health and well-being of Americans."

The Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index has been developed to provide the official measure for health and well-being. It's the voice of Americans and the most ambitious effort ever undertaken to measure what people believe constitutes a good life.

Via creative class