b'YourCommentary that 40 percent of ouradaptive tendencies that we still value children are overweightgreatlysuch as altruism, love, kindness, or obese. In fact, someempathy, generosity, caring and loyalty.health statisticiansWe know that positive attachment suggest that kidsto others is a basic need. I saw that daily For Better Health:today may not live asin how mothers and fathers and babies long as their parentsbonded. And social connections can Know Your Neighbors generation.have tremendous influence to shape ourLack of exercise:health.By Rudy Fedrizzi, MD Few of us get adequateBut unfortunately as a society we are physical activity; onlylonely and disconnected and getting 25.6 percent of Cheshiremore so.County adults getOne in five Americans say they are adequate activity (150chronically lonely; one in eight Americans minutes per week).have no one to spend free time with or Smoking: One inno one with whom to discuss important six adultsand onematters. Twenty percent of Americans in five youthstillhave only one person they can confide in.use tobacco productsLeisure time has become passive, despite more than 50solitary and too often involves looking at years of knowledgea screen. While we are more connected that it directly shortensthan ever via social media, there is the lives of hundredscontroversy about whether web-based of thousands of peoplesocial networking, such as Facebook, each year. helps to develop a sense of community Drug addiction:or if it reflects our continued erosion of Currently in Newmeaningful interaction.My reading of Hampshire, wethe evidence suggests that virtual friends T here is something that isare confrontingdont seem to be adequate substitutes for indispensable to your health andan epidemic ofreal friends. wellbeing and mine. Its not whatprescription drug misuse and abuseLoneliness is painful: Throughout you think.Its not healthy food, exercise, a problem that kills more peoplehistory solitary confinement, shunning healthcare, money or the government.in our state than motor vehicleand excommunication have all be seen as Though those things are important, too. accidents. severe forms of punishment.Ill give you a hint: its as close as yourBut theres another challenge to our kitchen table, workplace, classroom orhealth that is equally large and is a key place of worship. factor in many of our other challenges, For many years I was a practicingincluding the ones above. This is the obstetrician having the great privilege ofepidemic of social isolation and a helping to bring babies into the worldgrowing disconnection among all of us.and trying to provide them the healthiestLoneliness can be painfulstart to life as possible. Now for the pastand life-threateningcouple of years I have changed my focusAs humans we are social by nature. to helping our community support theThroughout history there were healthiest and happiest life possibleadvantages to cooperation such as for all of us. Thats really what Healthysecurity and obtaining sufficient food. Monadnock is all aboutcreating theHumans developed language in order healthiest community in the nation byto communicate with each other. OurAs a society we are the year 2020. ancestors were great mimics and learned But, we have enormous challenges: by watching and copying others. Survivallonely and disconnected Obesity: Nearly 60 percent ofof the individual and tribe were linked.and getting more so.adults are at an unhealthy weightSocio-biologists believe we evolved and we know from actual measures 22 Healthy Monadnock Update 2015'