What determines how long we’ll live? Surprisingly, our zip code plays a large role. Not all communities have the necessary ingredients for health. People who reside in areas without easy access to healthy food options, parks for exercise, and good schools for their children have shorter lives than those who live in more affluent communities. Differences across neighborhoods were manmade and can be unmade, but it will take all of us. The California Endowment’s 10-year Building Healthy Communities initiative seeks to bring equity to all neighborhoods so that all Californians can enjoy the benefits of healthy communities and live long and productive lives.
What determines how long we’ll live? Surprisingly, our zip code plays a large role. Not all communities have the necessary ingredients for health. People who reside in areas without easy access to healthy food options, parks for exercise, and good schools for their children have shorter lives than those who live in more affluent communities. Differences across neighborhoods were manmade and can be unmade, but it will take all of us. The California Endowment’s 10-year Building Healthy Communities initiative seeks to bring equity to all neighborhoods so that all Californians can enjoy the benefits of healthy communities and live long and productive lives.