Rent-seeking researchers are always finding new ways to appease the liberal-guilt-ridden lawmakers holding the purse strings and eagerly awaiting the latest results on how the United States of America is one of the worst places to live in the world.

Remember how we’re not as “egalitarian” as Beijing, Jakarta and Dire Dawa? Well, now we don’t walk and bike enough ? not like in, say, Latvia and Sweden.

This is bad, of course, because of (dramatic diminished fifth chord on a church organ) obesity. LR readers will recall, of course, that obesity is considered even worse than mass starvation because of the greater overall (observable) monetary costs on society of healthy, heavier people growing old and needing more medical care than dying alone in hinterland huts.

Per WRAL:

“Countries with the highest levels of active transportation generally had the lowest obesity rates,” authors David Bassett of the University of Tennessee and John Pucher of Rutgers University conclude.

Americans, with the highest rate of obesity, were the least likely to walk, cycle or take mass transit, according to the study in a recent issue of the Journal of Physical Activity and Health. The study relied on each country’s own travel and health data.

Only 12 percent use active transportation in the United States – 9 percent walk, 1 percent ride a bike and 2 percent take a bus or train – while a quarter to a third are obese, the study said.

By comparison, 67 percent of commuters in Latvia, 62 percent in Sweden and 52 percent in the Netherlands either walk, bike or use mass transit. Latvia’s obesity rate is 14 percent, the Netherlands’ is 11 percent and Sweden’s is 9 percent. …

While the analysis doesn’t prove that transportation keeps obesity levels down “they make an excellent case,” said Susan Handy, who heads the Sustainable Transportation Center at the University of California at Davis.

“The question, then, is what do we do?” said Handy, who was not involved in the study. “How do we get more people walking and bicycling in the U.S.?”

Yes, that’s always the question with such research ? how to use one study to justify forcing people to make the decisions you want them to make.

Oh, and bonus for all of you who noticed a new euphemism: “active transportation.”