Built environmental impacts on individual mode choice and BMI: Evidence from China

•High density encourages people to choose physical transport, thereby decreasing BMI.•The total and direct effects of density on individual BMI are both positive.•Chinese healthy policies should not be same as Western Countries.

Using data from China Family Panel Studies (CFPS), this paper examines the impacts of the built environment on individual BMI and the risk of overweight, directly and indirectly mediated by mode choice with structural equation model (SEM). The results suggest that population density and facilities accessibility are positively associated with individual BMI and distance to the nearest bus stop is negatively associated, both directly and totally, differing from the mainstream views of Western developed countries. Thus, Chinese healthy policies should orient itself toward improving the walkability and cycling-friendliness of open spaces rather than increasing density and facilities accessibility of communities as Western developed countries did.