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Chapel Hill ranks 6th in health policy study

	Chapel Hill implemented a Smoke-Free Public Places Rule this year.

Chapel Hill implemented a Smoke-Free Public Places Rule this year.

Chapel Hill doesn’t need an apple a day to keep the doctor away — they have top-ranked health policies for that.

The Durham-Chapel Hill metropolitan area ranked sixth in the nation of top markets for health and wealth, according to a study analyzing top housing markets across counties in 11 states.

The report, prepared by RealtyTrac and Local Market Monitor, aimed to educate families about the quality of health different metropolitan areas have to offer before making a decision about where to move. The study considered 10 health-related factors like activity rate, obesity and percentage of good air days.

Stacy Shelp, spokeswoman for the Orange County Health Department, said health and wealth are often linked because affluent areas can spend the money to advance community health initiatives.

“We are doing a lot of partnering within the community with organizations with different initiatives that promote health and healthy living,” Shelp said.

The county’s Smoke-Free Public Places Rule was implemented Jan. 1, and Shelp said it’s an example of communities investing in public health.

In the Durham-Chapel Hill metro area, 12 percent of the population smokes and 2 percent has had heart attacks, according to the study.

Shelp said the town is often recognized for its health initiatives, including walkability.

“Things like bike paths, getting people to use alternative forms of transportation, that not only helps the environment but it helps people personally and physically,” said sophomore Rachel Woods.

But Shelp said there is still room for improvement.

“It is obviously always nice to see us ranked high for the health of our community — we strive for that,” she said. “With reports like this, you look at Orange County and it looks like we are doing really well. When you have cities like Chapel Hill and Durham that have resources like UNC Hospitals and Durham hospitals, it can skew those numbers.”

Shelp said the department was continuing to expand efforts to provide more people with access to the health and wealth the study refers to.

“We are trying to inspire people to be healthier and continue to move further up in the ranking.”

city@dailytarheel.com

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