A report has claimed that transport and planning policies are directly contributing to the UK’s obesity crisis by discouraging physical activity.

According to the Building Health survey, the layout of towns, cities and buildings influences the amount of exercise which people take naturally in their daily lives.

The survey, published jointly by the National Heart Forum (NHF), Living Streets and the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE), aims to provide a blueprint for action to change transport policies and to locate housing and services to encourage walking and cycling.

The report lists a number of recommendations targeted at policymakers, planners, architects and transport professionals as well as ministers.

The suggestions include the introduction of ‘health checks’ on every large-scale property investment programme – which would include assessing the impact on levels of physical activity – and strengthening guidelines for key strategic planning documents to make health and physical activity a key goal alongside sustainable development.

It also recommends that health promotion principles should be integrated into the training of built environment professionals, such as highways and transport engineers and town planners.

Paul Lincoln, chief executive of NHF, said: “We challenge new government ministers to implement the Building Health report’s recommendations and Build places where the active and healthy choice is the easy choice.”

The report also argues that the investment in regenerating East London for the 2012 Olympics must create a legacy of more opportunities for everyday physical activity in the new built environment.

Richard Simmons, CABE’s chief executive, said: “Investment in the creation of high quality built environments can encourage people to be more active.

“If a small percentage of the money spent on treating obesity related diseases was spent on preventing them in the first place, a lot of public money would be saved.”