Healthy Community
My idea of a healthy community would be that of a place where health promotion is pushed by creating a suitable environment for the wellness of everyone. There is much that can be done to create healthy communities. Communities that support people in making healthy choices help prevent chronic diseases and the complications that can result from them. Public health works with a variety of partners to create healthy communities including transportation planners, city planners and land use experts because the environments where we live, work, play, learn and connect with services influence our physical and mental health ("Health," 2012). A healthy community is one where people have good physical and emotional health. But this is more than just the absence of illness. A healthy community promotes well-being and offers a high quality of life. It needs to have strong social networks that can offer mutual support opportunities, facilitates social exchange, and the sharing of skills, resources, and assets. In addition to social networks, it also needs to have physical assets, such as buildings, parks, commercial, and other public spaces that are safe, clean, and comfortable, and provide opportunities for interaction and exchange. The physical assets of the community are aesthetically pleasing and offer the community a sense of identity The community should be free of any sort of pollution, which means that everyone should have access to clean air to breathe. There should be healthier food choices available instead of the usual fast food that diminishes our health along the years. Wellness centers should be set up, along with many health centers as well. Health promotion should be practiced as well. People should have a thorough understanding of the importance of a healthy lifestyle. If the community definition of “health” doesn’t match my views, I would do my best to push the community as a whole towards a better standard of living.
References: Division of Community Health. (2012). Community Overview. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/healthycommunitiesprogram/overview/index.htm