We've all heard, "You are what you eat," and the premise behind that saying is our health is significantly influenced by the choices we make, including diet and exercise.
But increasingly, research shows that the economic, social and environmental conditions in the communities where we live, work and play also factor into our ability to make healthy choices and live healthy lifestyles.
In general, living in Idaho provides the environments and opportunities for those healthy choices and lifestyles, from easy access to recreation for exercise, safe communities, family and social support systems and access to clinical care.
That's according to the 2017 County Health Rankings and Roadmaps (CHRR), which were published today by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute. The annual county-by-county report analyzes multiple databases to evaluate overall health and well-being at the community level. It then ranks individual counties based on a calculation of overall health outcomes based on life expectancy and overall quality of life.
Idaho has some good things going for it: Residents largely have access to gyms, trails and other locations for exercise; we don't overdo it when it comes to preventable hospital stays; and most of our children are being raised in two-parent families.
And if you live in Valley County, you are fortunate to live in one of Idaho's healthiest counties.