Until this nation comes to terms with this flaw in social planning (or the absence thereof), obesity, social isolation, and consumerism (which necessitates the American workethos), will continue to be increasing problems for the fabric of American society.
Software company 37Signals, the darling of the bootstrapper movement, began spearheading an anti-meeting workethos, and talking up its new workplace design ( check out the pictures here), which was practically company philosophy (as articulated by founder Jason Fried in his excellent book Rework for example) expressed as interior design.