Healthy Cities

Many news reports have been talking about Women's Health Magazine ranking of the healthiest cities in the US. They were actually ranking which city had the healthiest residents, not which city provided the best place to be healthy. They looked at things like percentage of women who had their preventive medical testing on time and how many people ate enough vegetables.

The top cities seem to be college towns, so it looks like education really plays into healthy living. It's possible that the winning city of Raleigh, NC makes it easier for women to do all the things to stay healthy and Memphis, TN makes it difficult. It is still up to the individual person to make sure they are doing everything in their power to make sure they stay healthy. If you can't get into the doctor without scheduling three months in advance, make sure to call early enough so your annual tests are occurring annually. If fresh fruits and vegetables are hard to come by in your city, buy frozen. It's not a perfect solution, but you have to work with what you have.

This advice holds true for all aspects of being healthy. If the ideal situation isn't there, find the best alternative within the confines of reality. Don't just bemoan the lack of perfection. It is up to you to make yourself healthy and live a healthy life.