Most of us know we should be healthier. We learned it from teachers. We’ve heard it from doctors. We’ve been taught by the healthcare industry.
For the past 20 years, the message has been broadcast loud and clear: “Exercise more.” And the healthcare industry has worked to educate and motivate Americans to live a healthier lifestyle. Studies show that this works for a short period of time (about six months) until we revert back to our old behaviors — the changes that we make just don’t stick.
At this year’s Get Healthy, Live Well Health Summit, nationally known active transportation health expert Mark Fenton spoke to more than 200 leaders from Carroll, Haralson and Heard counties about how to make healthy lifestyles “stickier.” At the Summit, Fenton impressed on the leaders the importance of planning and creating environments that encourage their citizens to be more active.
“Today, we’re realizing that it’s not enough to know how to be healthy — we need to integrate healthy practices into how we’re living our lives,” said Fenton. “The easier the healthy practices are to integrate, the more willing we are to change our behaviors. And that creates lasting change.”
Fenton praised the area’s efforts.
“Roads are being redesigned with bike lanes, walking trails are being planned that lead to destinations like restaurants and shopping, schools are starting to look at walking and biking kids to school and our downtowns are becoming pedestrian destinations,” said Fenton. “The people here are becoming more active.
“This new dedication to health is starting to show in your community policies — you’re beginning to consider health as a factor as you plan your cities,” added Fenton.
Tanner Health System President and CEO Loy Howard spoke about Tanner’s role in this new way of thinking.
“Over the last 65 years Tanner has treated and diagnosed the illnesses that plague our community,” said Howard. “Now, we see a new horizon emerging in our industry — a time when we’re looking at helping people make changes in their lives before they get sick. We’re working to create a community where people are more likely to be healthy and stay healthy.”
Howard continued, adding that “churches, business leaders, schools, everyone has a stake in this, to make this a better place not just for us, but for our children and grandchildren.”
Denise Taylor, senior vice president and chief community health and brand officer for Tanner, spoke of the partnership that was making this shift in vision possible.
“For the past three years, Get Healthy, Live Well has been working with volunteers all over west Georgia — more than 540 strong — to increase physical activity, good nutrition and help people get control of chronic disease. Together, our taskforce is impacting thousands of people in our three-county area.”
According to Fenton, west Georgia is on the forefront of a move toward walkable communities that is happening nationwide.
“Less than a month ago, the surgeon general of the United States put out a call to action that we, as a nation, need to promote more walking and create more walkable communities,” said Fenton. “And west Georgia can be proud that you’re already working on this.”
Fenton praised regional leaders for the work they’ve done so far in making their communities a healthier place.
“The best way you keep somebody from getting sick is to put policies in place that help keep people healthy in the first place,” said Fenton. “That’s how we move the needle on lessening the impact of chronic disease on our citizens. Create a living environment where destinations are walkable and bikeable. Make sure there’s a network of trails that connect these places, and make sure they’re available to all ages, incomes and abilities.”
But, he cautioned, “as well as you’ve done in the past year, your work isn’t finished. You need to continue, through change in policy, to make your community a place where walking and biking are a natural part of people’s everyday lives. Also, for the people who live here, when your leaders are considering policy changes that make your cities healthier places, be sure to add your voice and support those officials. They need you to help make these healthy changes.”
Fenton added that there are more than health benefits associated with building more walkable and bikeable communities.
“We’ve seen property values rise significantly in these kinds of neighborhoods,” said Fenton. “The National Association of Builders, in their Home Builder magazine, reports that walkability has become one of their best selling features. Also, when businesses want to relocate to a region, they do so not just because of tax breaks: Investors look at quality of life and the general health of the people who live in the region.”
Daniel Jackson, president and CEO of the Carroll Chamber of Commerce, agreed with Fenton.
“When we have businesses looking to invest here, more and more often the first thing they want to see is our downtown area,” said Jackson. “They want to see how people live here. Businesses can relocate pretty much anywhere there’s a fast Internet connection, so they’ve become picky about making sure they are bringing their employees to a place where they can be healthy. There are members of all three chambers of commerce attending this event and I can tell you, they’re here to find out how this makes economic sense for our region. The conversations that we’re having today are about quality of life — and how to make our towns better places to live, work and play.”
More information about how Get Healthy, Live Well is making the region a healthier place to live is available online at www.GetHealthyLiveWell.org.