Place Matters: Why is where you live a good predictor of your health?
Do you know that the neighborhood you live in has a direct impact on your health? If you lived in some neighborhoods in Manhattan instead of the Bronx, you would be less likely to have asthma, obesity, diabetes and cancer. Why is this so?

A new DVD series produced by California Newsreel, "Unnatural Causes," provides some answers to this question. People from neighborhoods across the country have come together to look at why people of color, including African Americans, Native Americans, Latinos and Asian Americans have higher rates of disease than whites.

One thing they have found is that where a person lives, works, and goes to school affects his or her health. Living in old neglected homes where paint is peeling and mold is growing can cause lead exposure and asthma. High rates of violence can keep us from walking, playing and getting the exercise we need. At the same time, fast food, tobacco and alcohol are much more available in low-income neighborhoods than healthy foods like fresh fruits and vegetables. This combination, plus the stress of our everyday lives over time, leads to more obesity, diabetes and heart disease in our communities than in better off white neighborhoods.

I am sure none of this surprises anyone. We see this everyday. But this is not just a Bronx issue, or a New York issue. This is happening across the country and people are finally demanding that changes be made. The differences that exist between the rich neighborhoods and ours are not by accident. They are the result of decades of government policies that favor the rich and this can no longer be tolerated. It is our time to take a stand and speak out against this disparity. Visit www.unnaturalcauses.org for more information about the series or contact Bronx Health REACH at 718-588-1235 if you are interested in viewing this DVD with your neighbors, church members or at another event in your neighborhood.

Ruchi Mathur is a HealthCorps member with Bronx Health REACH, a program committed to eliminating racial and ethnic disparities in health outcomes in the southwest Bronx.