Utahns are fat, and getting fatter. Sixty-three percent of adults are overweight or obese, more than twice the rate of 20 years ago. And nearly one in five Utah third-graders strains the scales.

Blame those second chins on the ice cream cones, the cookies, the sugary soft drinks. And our sedentary lifestyles surely contribute to our love handles. But researchers say that city hall also plays a supporting role in this growing public health tragedy.

A study by University of Utah assistant professor Shaunna Burbidge supports the Utah Department of Health's contention that too many Utah neighborhoods are developed in ways that discourage physical activity. And according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which released a report this year correlating obesity with neighborhood designs, poor community planning contributes to expanding waistlines.

Streets without bike lanes, neighborhoods without sidewalks and communities without convenient parks and recreational facilities are the municipal planning equivalent of a dozen donuts, the CDC says. These ill-advised designs encourage driving and discourage exercise, and as such, are a breeding ground for obesity.

The CDC has a menu of policies and statutes that municipalities can enact to encourage walking, hiking, biking and good nutrition.

Bicycle lanes should be a part of all road projects. Developers should be required to build sidewalks and parks, and install traffic-calming devices to make streets less dangerous for pedestrians. To improve nutrition, cities should establish farmers' markets, provide incentives for grocery stores to open in underserved areas and limit or ban the sale of junk food in government buildings. That includes schools.

But too few Utah towns follow the recipe for fitness, according to Burbidge, the U of U prof. She and her students studied ordinances, master plans and zoning codes in 81 Utah cities and confirmed that many municipalities in the Beehive State aren't planning with the public's health in mind.

Just six cities -- St. George, Provo, North Logan, Farmington, Draper and Cedar City -- have the complete package of development ordinances in place. Four cities -- Highland, Holladay, Roy and South Ogden -- don't even require sidewalks. And 71 others also have room for improvement.

People still have to choose to use sidewalks, bike lanes, parks, trails and rec centers. But local leaders can, and should, give citizens those options.