After [readacted] years on the planet, I have the great good fortune to have a huge coterie of friends and colleagues, and a lengthened view of all manner of topics.
A convergence popped up to demonstrate that yesterday when a friend (and, full disclosure, a member of my extended family) shared this TED-MED Talk by GiS rock-star Bill Davenhall about the confluence of geography and health:
It makes perfect sense – if you have to stop and think about it, perhaps you’re cognitively impacted by the ozone in YOUR geographic location.
“The environment” is a phrase that we’re at risk of becoming deaf to, due to overuse. I challenge you to do two things:
- Look at the children in your life, and ask yourself if their surroundings are making it easier to grow up healthy and strong … or not.
- Ask your local hospital or health system if they’ve done any GiS (Geographic information System) health mapping of the areas they serve.
Add a bonus for yourself, and take a tour of the Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality to see what the impact of where you grew up, and where you live, is on your health outlook.
And start asking your doctors to add “where do you live?” to their list of diagnostic questions.
That’s my story, and I’m stickin’ to it.
