Neighborhoods matter to health. Here are two very different approaches to make sure where you live is healthy…

Move to a Healthy Neighborhood: “You’re planning to move, and you’re sure you’ve thought of everything: a good school system, affordable property taxes, a manageable commute. But what about your health? A study published this month in Archives of Internal Medicine found that living in a healthy neighborhood—defined as one that encourages you to ditch the car keys, get moving, and eat more healthfully—may lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 38 percent… Here are some specific things to look for to make your next neighborhood a healthy one.” — full story in U.S. News & World Report, October 28, 2009

Or, Get Your Neighborhood Moving: “Exercise more. Avoid junk food. Such common-sense health advice has proved no match against the temptations of modern life, which have sent obesity rates around the world soaring. Now, government officials in a number of countries are pursing an aggressive new strategy: enlisting entire communities to insulate people from these temptations and make healthier choices easier…. [A] community-based approach to fighting obesity is probably the most promising policy available, experts say. ‘What works is durable, long-lasting changes in habits,’ says Monique Romon, a professor of medicine at Université Lille 2 and the lead researcher of the study on Fleurbaix and Laventie. ‘That’s why community action is so important.’” — full story in The Wall Street Journal, November 10, 2009