Naples, Florida receives the number one spot for being home to a community with the highest scores for overall well-being for 2016. This is the second year in a row that Naples, Immokalee and Marco Island received high scores in this category! The new Gallup-Healthways poll on community well-being ranked communities based on their responses to five key elements of well-being including positive social relationships, financial management, and sense of purpose, physical health and community pride. Research Director for the Gallup-Healthways well-being index, Dan Witters told Today that “Naples does a lot of things right.” Residents of the Naples area take care of themselves physically, mentally and emotionally. Their community boasts the highest rates for eating healthy and low rates for depression and low rates for the stresses of daily life. Sunshine is said to aid in depression and Naples enjoys plenty of that.
The Naples area community also encourages an active lifestyle with many parks, walking, jogging and biking trails, as well as community basketball, volleyball and tennis courts. There are plenty of great choices for fresh local produce and many eateries cater to the health conscious. All of these contribute to enjoying a high quality of life in a tranquil setting. Naples is also an affluent community located on the gorgeous Gulf of Mexico which provides close proximity to the relaxing sandy white beaches and the stunning turquoise blue waters synonymous with this area.
In 2015, The Blue Zones Project was launched in Naples and throughout Southwestern Florida. This wellness project was aimed at improving community well-being as well as optimizing its residents’ longevity by bringing together citizens, schools, business owners and community leaders to work together. It makes small, incremental changes that make astounding long lasting impacts. It makes the healthy choice the easy choice and models itself off of areas around the world notorious for healthy, happy living and their long living citizens. This project aims to improve health and lower healthcare costs, as well as improving the infrastructure of a community overall. Naples completed a redevelopment project which brought sidewalks, bicycle lanes and roundabouts to the city.
Some other places mentioned on the Gallup-Healthways poll were Honolulu, Hawaii as number four, Boulder, Colorado as number ten and Fort Smith, Arkansas came in last place out of the 189 communities that were included on the list.
If you are an American worrying about the country’s turbulent times, charged political climate and other uncertainties, you don’t have to leave your beloved country for Canada anymore. Simply head down South to Florida’s southwestern coast and enjoy all that Naples, Immokalee and Marco Island have to offer. Relish in year round sunshine, a sub-tropical climate with gorgeous blue skies and sun drenched days, followed by mild nights filled with cooling ocean breezes and stunning sunsets. Enjoy all of the waterfront activities, walk through nature preserves surrounded by palm trees, tropical foliage and beautiful flora and know that you have chosen to live in paradise.
