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Health planning turns personal after diabetes diagnosis8/31/2016 Health planning turns personal after diabetes diagnosis http://www.gazettenet.com/Feiden­guest­2344111 1/3 Opinion > Columns (/Opinion/Columns/) Health planning turns personal after diabetes diagnosis By Wayne Feiden Thursday, May 26, 2016 Six weeks ago I was diagnosed as being diabetic, and it has upended my world. The sad irony is that I currently direct a signi cant regional grant focused on prevention of obesity, diabetes, heart disease and stroke. I had no family history of diabetes, engage in regular exercise and have a decent, although not great, diet. I missed all of the warning signs. Why this matters is why I took on the responsibility for administering the Mass in Motion/1422 grant in the  rst place. The environment in which we live, which is part of what planners care about, is one of the most important factors in our health. We have no control over our genes. Most of us have little input in our medical system. We are responsible for our exercise and eating habits, except of course that we know that people with better access to safe exercise and healthy food use it more, and for many people, that access is sadly lacking. Safe and healthy walking and bicycling and food access opportunities are a start. An environment, social mores, peers, incentives that reinforce those opportunities are all critical. Access does not just mean physical access but addressing cultural norms, inequitable distribution of resources and reducing barriers. If your walk involves strolling down tree-lined streets, past buildings that frame the street, on comfortable streets for walking, in a safe neighborhood, on a rail trail, in a beautiful conservation area, to a great park, you might love your evening stroll or walking journey to work, play, or shopping. 8/31/2016 Health planning turns personal after diabetes diagnosis http://www.gazettenet.com/Feiden­guest­2344111 2/3 If your walking options don’t include decent sidewalks, involve unsafe tra c conditions, or simply involve crossing large parking lots you are less likely to walk. When we measure pedestrian and bicycle tra c in Northampton, the built environment is more important than where destinations are. If fast food is more accessible, easier and cheaper than healthier options, if cultural and social norms do not include healthy food, the choice is obvious. When we look at healthy food options, community gardens, and other healthy options, we  nd that not only do they help people eat better in the short term, but the awareness those options bring reinforce long-term changes. Last year I visited Belfast as part of a German Marshall Fund fellowship. I met with researchers who assessed the value of their new multiuse trail system not only as a transportation system (most pedestrian and bicycle networks are the least expensive transportation system per person mile traveled). They also looked at their system in terms of its e ect on preventing disease (diabetes and heart disease), and the public and private costs of chronic disease, and found that by that measure alone the system more than paid for itself. We envision improving our built environment and food systems to lower the prevalence of chronic disease and a Vision Zero of no pedestrian, bicycle or vehicle fatalities or serious injuries. We can save our taxpayers the cost of our investments many times over. What makes this grant especially exciting is that we are at the intersection of planning, public health, public works, and medicine. We are taking actions in our built environment, food systems and early clinical intervention systems to reduce chronic disease. These very actions also support everything else that planning represents: supporting the community vision for a healthy and sustainable and resilient community, vibrant downtown and village centers, a thriving economy, for public choice in the kind of neighborhood we live work and play in, and greater social equity. Come join us. In June, we will spend a weekend day on Northampton’s Main Street, getting the public involved in how to make the street safer. In September, we will invite our consultants to give us their recommendations for Walk/Bike Northampton and for a countywide manual of best design practices. 8/31/2016 Health planning turns personal after diabetes diagnosis http://www.gazettenet.com/Feiden­guest­2344111 3/3 Also in September, the Hilltowns will host community workshops on Healthy Hilltowns. In December, we will have a week long exhibition at the APE Gallery on Planning for Healthy Living. You can also contribute to 200 acres that Northampton is hoping to purchase to preserve open space and build our network of walking and multiuse trails. We need you. As for me, my diet is better, my exercise has increased, and I am taking advantage of the incredible network of open space, multiuse trails — opportunities for wonderful neighborhood strolls that we have built together. My disease is under control in large part because I live in an environment where those improvements are easy. Help join us as we work to continue to make changes that improve health and save us all millions of dollars in the costs of chronic disease. Wayne Feiden is Northampton’s director of Planning and Sustainability and, with funding from Massachusetts Department of Health Mass in Motion/1422 programs, works with Healthy Hampshire, the Northampton Health Department, the Hilltown Community Health Center, the Collaborative for Educational Services, and planning and health partners in 14 communities.