There's no doubt that your lifestyle choices can make you healthy or unhealthy. And, unsurprisingly, your environment has enormous influence over your lifestyle. We've all heard that certain nations and even states have healthier populations than others, but even your neighborhood can help to make or break your health. In fact, studies have indicated that life expectancy can differ by as many as ten years from one neighborhood to the next, even if those neighborhoods are side by side!
There are both subtle and obvious differences that make some neighborhoods less healthy than others. Certainly, poverty is one obvious difference and a major contributor to poor health; it makes it harder to eat healthfully and to seek medical attention, among other factors. But what are the more subtle reasons that neighborhoods can be bastions of healthiness or pits of poor health? There are several, and they are usually within your control - it all comes down to neighborliness.
Social Cohesion and Emotional Support
Some North Carolina neighborhoods are characterized by a strong sense of community. Neighbors know each other, interact regularly, and stay abreast of the happenings in each other's lives. They may have regular social gatherings, such as barbecues or soccer games. When a family experiences a divorce, death, or other hardship, neighbors are aware, and can show that they care. These types of neighborhoods can promote good health because their inhabitants provide emotional support for one another, and this helps to minimize stress-a known health hazard. In contrast, neighborhoods characterized by a lack of social cohesion, where each resident lives in a kind of bubble and there is little sense of community, can foster a sense of isolation resulting in poor health. When someone experiences a stressor, or seems to be in need of medical help, there may not be anyone to provide emotional support or suggest a visit to a doctor. Socializing with neighbors can be difficult with busy schedules but you might consider using technology to help with that by starting a Facebook Group or a Google Community for your neighborhood.
Safe Outdoor Environments
Living in a neighborhood where you feel safe spending time outside, and where it is possible to walk or bike from one place to another, will promote good physical fitness. Neighborhoods with low crime rates are more conducive to outdoor activities, which increase exposure to the natural world-sunlight, fresh air, birds, trees, flowers-and, consequently, help you to manage stress. People who live in a neighborhood that has parks or green spaces and safe places to bike or walk are more likely to spend time outside moving their bodies, keeping themselves in shape, and reducing stress and tension. And engaging with neighbors while doing any of these activities further fosters the above-mentioned sense of social cohesion. If you neighborhood doesn't have a crime watch program, you might look into starting one (for more information, visit usaonwatch.org).
Minimal Sound and Light Pollution
Getting good rest plays a significant role in shaping your health. The body repairs and restores itself during sleep, and anyone who has experienced a bout of insomnia can attest to its negative effects on virtually every aspect of life. Neighborhoods with noise pollution in the form of traffic, trains, planes, car alarms, frequent parties, and other sources of sound can make it hard for residents to enjoy naps or a good night's sleep. Similarly, light pollution, which is caused by an overabundance of electric lights that prevent the nighttime from being as dark as it could be, has an effect on sleep patterns and quality. Needless to say, a quiet neighborhood, one where nighttime really looks and feels like nighttime, can result in better health through better sleep. So be good to your neighbors, dim the outdoor lights and turn down the volume after 10:00 p.m., it's all in the interest of better health.
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