Frank Sinatra, however, was a poet.
And scientists can name at least 1,001 reasons to cling to your “small-town blues.”
They’ll start with the traffic.
In 2016,Los Angeles Timesran a story listing studies that prove noise pollution significantly damages your health.
In some cases, it may literally shorten your lifespan.
That’s possibly due to noise’s effect on blood pressure and stress hormones.
Background noise in cities typically hovers around 60 decibels, according toThe Atlantic.
Traffic and subway noises can expose you to 85 decibels of noise pollution.
As for stress hormones produced by noise?
According to a Swedish study cited byLos Angeles Times,those can make your waistline thicker.
And that’s just the noise.
What about air quality in cities?
The photos aren’t only remarkable for being instant, Instagram sensations.
They also brought into terrifying focus another often (literally) overlooked phenomenon: air pollution.
But that doesn’t mean that “everyday” air pollution isn’tDarth Vader-level dangerous, too.
That’s bad news for the United State’s urban population.
Is country living right for you?
Country living, and especially rural living, can also put your health at considerable risk.
A 2011The Wall Street Journalarticle documents similar findings for rural, United States residents.
In some cases, remote living can also limit your access to life-saving medical care.
Instead, public health professor Andy Jones suggested toBBCthat it’s all about informed, personal choice.
