County Council, Health Professionals Host 'Healthy Communities' Event at Bowie Senior Center - Riverdale Park-University Park, MD Patch

Amid a greater national and local awareness on health—the National Health Reform, Michelle Obama's "Let's Move" campaign and Bowie's recent ban on smoking on city property—approximately 60 county residents gathered with the Prince George's County Council on Tuesday night to discuss the health issues surrounding the county....

According to the 2011 County Health Rankings, among the 24 jurisdictions in Maryland, Prince George's County ranks 17th for "Health Outcomes" and 18th for "Health Factors." Specifically, the county ranks 19th for mortality or years of potential life lost before 75 years old.

One factor of low mortality is the physical environment, which ranks 23rd, and includes air pollution, access to healthy foods and recreational facilities. Even though access to healthy foods is high—91 percent of zip codes in the county have access to a healthy food outlet—32 percent of adult residents are obese.