It's well known that the most important health indicators of communities are often closely related to their demographics. People living in wealthy communities generally tend to live longer, be more active and have fewer serious chronic diseases than people living in poor communities. From a public health standpoint, that means some communities are healthier on average than others, and the differences can be stark. In Baltimore, for example, residents of the city's wealthiest neighborhoods can expect to live up to 20 years longer than their less affluent peers, even though their homes may be only a few miles apart.

The huge disparities that exist along racial and class lines in Baltimore represent the biggest challenge facing public health officials. But closing the gap in health outcomes between the city's most privileged and most disadvantaged residents isn't just a matter of visits to the doctor's office or emergency room admissions. Instead, it's related to a complex interaction of social, economic and environmental factors that together help determine people's overall physical and mental well being. And as a result it's not a problem that can be "treated" without also addressing the barriers that keep people trapped in unhealthy situations.

Read more: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/editorial/bs-ed-health-plan-201...