I am still a completely new to the game but I am getting the hang of it. I am having trouble keeping my cities in good shape though, I try everything but my citizens are still starving and in poor health. What is the best way to keep them in tip-top shape.


Thanks.

Ways Into Health (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=190583)

If that isn't working for you, whip them until they are healthy.

A complicated question. I guess first allways try to settle near fresh water (for a health bonus). Forest tiles also add health (I think it's +1 for every 2 tiles in BFC); while jungle tiles reduce health. Flood plains reduce health also. Many resources can boost health (some even more with respective buildings like harbors and graineries); Wheat, Corn, Rice, Fish, Clam, Crab, Cow, Pig, Deer. Make sure your cities are connected so they share resources (and therefore health/happiness boosts).
Many buildings and wonders can help give bonus health also, such as the Aquaduct (+2 Health); or the Hanging Gardens which gives a health boost to all cities, and increases population in all cities. Also be aware that some essential buildings (Forge, Factory) have a health penalty, so be sure to plan accordingly.

Thanks, that helps a lot.

Although the previous reply more or less addresses what you were looking for, in relative terms, the best way of improving health is to build granaries and connect to resources. Not only is the health benefit higher, there are other benefits too:

1. Granaries will enable faster growth of your cities
2. The health benefits will be available to ALL the connected cities

Later you can build grocers too for not only additional health but also additional weath.

I actually build aquaducts only when situation is desperate and no resource is available or population has growth very fast and adequate resources are not available.

Building your cities on fresh water gives you an immediate +2 health. Early on you want to settle wheat/corn/rice if at all possible and build granaries. It's +6 health if you have all three resources and a granary. Another good early source of health is harbors (compass) and fish/clam/crab for another +6 health. Of course this only benefits coastal cities. The next source of health are aqueducts (math) for +2 health. After that you need grocers (guilds). Grocers come a bit later but add health for 4 resources giving you +8 health. Of course it can be hard to have all of these resources early on so expanding your empire via warfare and getting access to astronomy for overseas trading is quite important.