HOW HAPPY
ARE YOU?
In response, they proposed a
Local Wellbeing Index meant to
help officials plan smarter policy
using ready resources. The plan
won Santa Monica a $1 million
grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies, which this year will give out
$9 million in all to five winning
cities via its Mayors Challenge.
“Wellbeing is not to
be confused with
wellness. [It is] a
state characterized
by a person’s level of
fulfillment, engagement,
satisfaction, positive
outlook, and health.”
Santa Monica joins a growing
list of North American locales attempting to mimic Bhutan’s GNH,
or wellbeing index, and no two
Western adaptations are alike.
A private index in Canada joins
previously unlinked data, including work hours and crime rates,
to paint a new picture of Canadian life. In Great Britain, the government survey sent out annually
to households nationwide now
includes such pointed inquiries
as “How happy did you feel yesterday?” and “To what extent do
you feel the things you do in your
life are worthwhile?”
The goal is to govern with a cit-
HUFFINGTON
04.28.13
THE HAPPIEST
PEOPLE IN AMERICA
A new ranking from Gallup and Healthways
researchers reveals which U.S. metro areas have
the highest and lowest wellbeing, based on healthy
behaviors, emotional and physical health, work
environment, access to basic services and life
evaluation. There were 189 metro areas included in
the ranking, which was based on phone interviews
with 353,563 people conducted throughout 2012.
Here, find the top 10 areas with the highest wellbeing.
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