Most of my efforts to be a fine figure of a man have failed miserably, primarily because they are based on a scientifically dubious fitness program I call “See him and be him.” I sit on a couch watching TV and “see him” – one of those TV guys with abs of steel, chiseled biceps, waves of hair thick enough to mow, and the cardiovascular system of a mountain goat on Lipitor. Then I wish I could “be him.”

Simple, eh? A great workout in the “See it and be it” program involves watching a football game, in which other guys get physical and sweaty while I eat chips and imagine being as buff as they are. That particular routine is so exhausting I usually have to nap by the third quarter.

Alas, however, real fitness and real health take real work. That is especially true these days, when overeating and sedentary activities are encouraged by an array of tempting foods, sophisticated entertainment, cutting-edge marketing, and roads so good we cannot imagine walking anywhere. If we stand still against the ravages of time, calories, Madison Avenue, and Hollywood, and our own bad choices, we lose the battle of the bulge where we stand.

The health of a community’s population is no different; healthy lifestyles must be actively promoted and supported by public policy if a community is to elevate its collective health. The results of our collectively standing still are telling; Maine as a state, and Bangor as a community, currently lack broad commitments to community health, and partly as a result almost half of Maine’s (and therefore Bangor’s) population is considered overweight. One-fourth of our adolescents are overweight. The general health of our population would suggest we have pursued little in the way of healthy activity that could not be done from a recliner.

To promote health a community must actively develop an environment conducive to healthy activity, especially those related to the out-of-doors. Parks and other recreational areas of all kinds must be protected, supported, and linked. That is especially true in a regional center such as Bangor; otherwise, the pressures of commercial development related to that regional role will fill every available space in our community, just as standing still as individuals will have us filling all available space in our clothing. Those open spaces need to exist within a community so that access can be maintained for all; Acadia National Park is wonderful but most of us cannot get to it every day, if at all.

The use of such open spaces must be taught and encouraged, so that as we grow up we all develop an appetite for the out-of-doors again, and feast more frequently on fresh air, natural beauty, and fitness, than on fries, burgers and cola.

Few sites offer Bangor a better opportunity to protect such open spaces as the Penjajawoc Marsh. Just off Stillwater Avenue, its 350 acres comprise one of the state’s best wetlands. Among its grasses and waters are more than 180 species of birds, 17 of them either endangered, threatened, or on watch lists. There are beaver and other wildlife as well. It is a gem of a place, and there will never, ever, be another place like it within the reach of most of Bangor’s citizens, or perhaps within Maine.

Adjacent pastureland is proposed for development as the site of a Wal-Mart Supercenter and several other businesses. That development will change the marsh forever, no matter what efforts are taken to mitigate the effects of the proposed development. Like an ankle broken and then repaired, it will never be the same no matter how many screws hold the pieces in place.

The marsh issue is not one of evil commercialism vs. pristine, natural beauty. Wal-Mart has been a good corporate citizen in Bangor, and has pursued legitimate interests in its superstore project. The real question is whether Bangor (and the state of Maine) should do something better with the Penjajawoc Marsh and other open spaces, by purchasing conservation rights from adjacent property owners and promoting the marsh as part of a healthy Bangor. Developed well, a greener Bangor with the Penjajawoc Marsh as a centerpiece might draw many visitors (and their dollars) and help keep us all healthier in the process.

Protection of the Penjajawoc Marsh from adjacent development is just one opportunity for Bangor to choose support of community health over commercial development. There are many others. On Feb. 14, State Rep. Sean Faircloth will announce his proposal for a state law that would set aside some transportation funds for the development of biking and walking paths in Maine. Other bills in the Maine Legislature this year will encourage schools to limit student access to soda and candy in school vending machines. The list is long, and while it includes no miracles, there are many partial solutions that collectively could spell a slimmer, healthier Maine, and Bangor’s legislative delegation should support them.

If we want good health in Maine and its communities we have to work for it one patient, one calorie, one cigarette, one school soda machine, one green space at a time. In the meantime, take two trips to the Penjajawoc Marsh and call me in the morning. It is good for part of what ails us.

Erik Steele, D.O. is a physician in Bangor, an administrator at Eastern Maine Medical Center, and is on the staff of several hospital emergency rooms in the region.