Workers in the small town of Leeville take fewer sick days than workers in the large city of Masonton 50 miles away Moreover relative to population size the diagnosis of stress related illness is proportionally much lower in Leeville than in Masonton Acco

The passage states that worker in the small town of Leeville take fewer sick days than those who work I the large city of Masonton, which is 50 miles away. It also provides the fact that the diagnosis of stress-related illness is proportionally much lower in Leeville than in Masonton. The Leeville Chamber of Commerce attribute these facts to the health benefits of the relatively relaxed pace of life in Leeville. The explanation seemly makes sense at the first sight. Close scrutiny, however, reveals numerous of logic flaw in this explanation. Without the knowledge of why the diagnosis of stress-related illness happen less frequently, if the number of hospital is smaller in Leeville, if the environmental condition is better in Leeville, and if the size of the town has no correlations to the pace of life, the Leeville Chamber of Commerce cannot adamantly attribute these facts to the relatively relaxed pace of life in Leeville.

Admittedly, the number of diagnosis of stress-related illness implies the health problem from working pressure. Considering the size difference of these two cities, however, alternative explanation can be given that the amount and the size of hospitals in Leeville are much smaller than in Masonton. As a result, the diagnosis hospitals can hold in the small town is much less than a big city’s hospitals can hold, which then lead to the fact that small town has less number of stress-related diagnosis than big city. Moreover, the education and the understanding of working pressure related illness is not as prevalent in small town as in big city for both residents and doctors.

Along with the size and the amount of hospitals and the understanding of stress-related illness, another reason can be given to the better health condition in Leeville. It is entirely possible that Leeville has a larger number of sports enthusiasts, and more people go to the fitness center every week in the small town than in Masonton city. With a larger population doing sports, a higher level of health condition in Leeville is both expectable an understandable. Besides, the eating habits tend to affect the occurrence of illness. The same result could be obtained if the residents in Leeville have a better understating of healthy eating habits and a healthier diet.

On a more fundamental level, better environmental conditions including water condition, air condition and air condition can be influential factors to a better health condition in both mental and physical aspects. Chances are that Masonton City is full of noise all day round and air pollution is very bad due to the traffics, while citizens in Leeville live in a quiet place with fresh air and clean water and food. If this is true, people in Leeville will have less health problems even under same amount of work pressure.

In sum, the explanation from Leeville Chamber Commerce is unconvincing as it stands. Without ruling out alternative explanations including the amount of hospitals, the understanding of stress-related health problem, the popularity of doing sports and the difference in environmental conditions, the Chamber cannot simply attribute the better health condition to the relatively relaxed pace of life in Leeville.