The harmful effect of the big cities on the health of the human has long been known. Although the reasons and the gravity of this trend are complex and vary in different region, I agree that living in the big cities is bad for people’s health.
First of all, because the non-renewable energy sources are still the standard, tons of exhaust fumes are released in the clogged streets of the city every day. Accompanied by the smog from plans, these pollutants are poisoning the air we breath. It has a direct effect on the health of our lungs and can increase chances of cancer development, with the elderly and pregnant women being expecially at-risk. Moreover, the damage of the pollutants does not stop there, as it can then form acid rains and deteriorate the quality of the water and the soil of the city. Finally, the city is normally full of residental buildings and has little space for parks and cultivated forests, that could counteract the negative impact of the air pollution.
Another factor affecting the health of the city dwellers is its infrastructure. A big size of the city requires more investments in the transportation system, leaving little space for walking and connection with the nature, thereby encouraging a sedentary lifestyle. Furthermore, despite the fact that a city usually has a better medical system, the healthcare costs are also higher there. It pushes many people to adopt negative coping strategies, like not taking the prescribed drugs, or taking them less often. Finally, because of the dense population, the infections and epidemics can spread much faster there, than in the countryside – a fact, proved by the recent Covid-19 eidemic.
In a nutshell, the comfort of the city life has a negative side effect on our health, with the reasons including a worse quality of the air, the ecouragement of a passive life style, and different barriers to the healthcare system.