Wednesday, 11 November 2009
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Does Where You Live Play A Big Role When It Comes To Living Healthy?
I recently read an article in Self Magazine on healthy places in the U.S. which also had a list of “the best bodies.” According to the list, people exercised the most in Madison, WI, while Miami, FL ranked the lowest. Moreover, people in Santa Rosa, CA had the lowest average body-mass index (BMI), while Detroit, MI had the highest average BMI.
While I was looking through this list, I began to wonder just how much the places you live in effect your health. I know Japan is considered as one of the healthiest countries in the world, mostly due to their healthy food and lifestyle. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that every single person living in Japan is healthy, and I’m sure there are people in Detroit, MI who are a lot fitter than those who live in Santa Rosa, CA.
I think where you live definitely (considering the culture and the food there) plays a big part in staying healthy, but I still think the most important part is your will to exercise and live a healthy life.
What do you guys think? Do you think the places you live in play a big part in leading a healthy life?
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About the Author
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- From: kimjh125
- Name: Joo
- About Me: I'm a runner and a health fanatic. I currently live in NYC.
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Comments (15)
Shoot, I was born in Detroit.
I do think environment has A LOT to do with how healthy you are. I can hardly find organic or (good) fresh produce in the desert, I have to drive over an hour away to get to some healthy stuff.
I was my healthiest in Denver, Colorado, which is one of the 'healthy' places listed in the study. For me, it had a lot more to do with exercise than anything else. In Denver, the climate and the mountains made very it easy to get my favorite kind of exercise. I actually eat better in San Antonio, where I live now, but it is called "Fat City". The heat and humidity prevent outdoor activity most of the year, so only the extremely dedicated or those who are forced to do so actually go outside when the temps top 90F.
Genetics and culture also play a part, so that needs to be considered, too.
I think your will determines how healthy you are, but your location determines the way you get healthy.
When I lived in NC and right next to a private pool I was on swim team and swam about 6 days a week, and even went to an indoor pool in the winter.
When I lived in town after moving 500 miles north I rode my bike almost every day. (We only lived there one summer/fall/winter while the house we currently reside in was built.)
Now I'm surrounded by woods and live on a huge hill, so I hike when the weather's nice and go to the gym or use our stationary bike when it's winter or raining. There's sooo much rain and snow. Bleh.
Detroit has a VERY high population of people living in poverty. Sadly, fast food costs less than healthy food. Jee, I wonder why they are overweight. It's so sad... it's not like some of them can even help it!
And that's super ironic that Madison WI (VERY COLD IN THE WINTER) has more exercisers than those in florida (with the exception of hurricanes, they have beautiful weather). Wow...
I live in California, right next to the beach. It plays a big role because as expected, everyone wants to get that beach body for the summer. Plus, it's a reward to get to work out at the beach and enjoy nice weather and atmosphere. Now that I'm in college, I see some overweight and obese people more often but at my high school that would be incredibly hard to find, all of the girls and boys were very in shape and athletic. I live in a high income area too so I think that plays an effect on lifestyle.
I think there is certainly a link, and of course gym accessibility, membership rates, are they affordable, what is the wage on average made in those towns?
I know for myself since I have moved out west, though it is touted for being much more fit then the rest of the country I have become less active and fit. The cost of living is simply too high to afford a gym membership, also I am way too afraid to go out and run on my own, which is how I like running, because I live in a really rough city where not a day goes by without someone being assaulted or murdered, or there being a drive by. Hell, I am scared walking to get groceries at 12 in the afternoon let alone trying to run early morning or late evening when the air quality is good enough so I can get on fine without having an asthma attack.
Woo! I live in the metro Detroit area, and the picture in this post is what I did today. :D
This area plays somewhat of a role in my health. If the weather is too horrible to go outside, I am stuck with indoor exercises. -shrug- I get bored with the scenery sometimes, too, but I've been driving to different locations lately (especially really hilly areas) to get a change of scenery and avoid boredom. It makes the running go by faster when I have something interesting to look at.
Other than that, it's not a major factor. There are good grocery stores nearby where I can get healthy food to make, plenty of parks to go to, access to large bodies of water to swim in during the summer, etc. Plus, Detroit is making a concerted effort to create a lot of new bike paths downtown and in the suburbs. They're hoping to rival Minneapolis in that respect in the next few years.
yeah, I think that in some cities where public transportation is efficient, can lead to more people getting off their asses and walking. the culture also shows a difference as well: I remember for lunch in high school there was a choice between a craptastic salad, pizza with french fries, hamburger with french fries, and soda.
For food in Korea they got fresh fruit, plenty of veggytables, and almost everything is HAND MADE.
yes, where you live does play a role in your health. physical surroundings, climate, socioeconomic status, values commonly shared in that area, and many other things can impact your health.
lol. I live in Miami. Let me say, that I gained a lot of weight once I moved there in the 5th grade. I'm not going to completely blame Miami, I do eat really unhealthy but certain things about Miami doesn't really encourage healthy living.
1. The weather, it is so freaking hot all the time. Or the humidity is too much.
2. the lack of a car means you're screwed. I use to think that since I didn't have a car I would ride my bike more or walk. No, because of the weather, all I wanted to say home and that led to boredom and that led to eating more.
3. Why does everyone live soo far away. When I first moved to Florida, I lived in an apartment. Most of my friends lived in that apartment and that apartment also had a pool. We use to swim almost everyday and ride our bikes for hours. Then I moved to house without a pool and everyone I knew suddenly lived a 15 min car ride away.
It can. At least weather-wise. Like where I live, in the southeast U.S., it might be harder to exercise outside in the summer with our 100+ temps and humidity than up north. Also, in Spring is when we have our tornado season. And for me, someone who is terrified of tornadoes, that means that I'm a nervous wreck and I can't eat when I'm nervous, which is definitely NOT healthy. Though when it comes to winter, it ain't as brutal down here as it is up north.
So, yeah, I'd say it definitely can.
i think it plays a huge role.
i live in an insanely wealthy town in MA, where we're all perfectionists.
overweight people don't live here...end of story.
however, when i go to places out of town like the mall, i see fat people.
It takes a lot of factors, but ultimately, yes, where you live can play a big part in your lifestyle. If it's too cold to run outside, obviously, not everybody is going to buy a treadmill so they can jog away in their little log cabin up in Maine. And in other very cold/very hot places, fresh food will not grow so well. You can only live on turnips for so long. Since diet and exercise are two main points of being healthy, and since both of those factors play into environment, yeah, I'd say it definitely can define your health.
It sure do. It play a big role where you live when it come to living healthy. The air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat all play a major part. The people who live in a environment with fresh air, pure water and easy access to fresh natural food usually outlive the people who don't.
Most people who can die without disease when they get old usually live in such environment. Too bad, most of us will die from disease when we get old. We have to suffer pain before we die. Those who can die without disease can die peacefully in their sleep without pain and suffering.
Find out exactly how to do it at
http://BeautifulLifeSharing.blogspot.com
Sometimes it's not so much as will as mentality.
What I mean by that is here in the States, you do need the will to exercise and live life healthily but in other places, like in Vietnam where I spent the first 9 years of my life, it's more of a mentality.
No one talked about eating healthily and exercising because everyone ate healthy foods and regular activities were part of everyday life.
If you asked people in Vietnam how often they "exercise" you will most likely get "never" for an answer since it's not of how we live our lives: getting outside to walk/run for exercise or hit the gym. We just all wake up early and take walks around our neighborhoods (at least where I grew up in) simply because it was a way to talk to your neighbors. And everyone works all day and most are on their feet. Our workday is from 6ish in the morning to late at night, any time from 7pm to 9/10pm. And the meals we eat during the day are all usually healthy meals with mostly vegetables and little meat (even those with a lot of money) simply because of our taste palate.
I sometimes wish I still live in the same mentality since now I live more of the "American" mentality, which unfortunately is very different from how I used to live.