2010: A Time for Health AccountabilityTuesday, 05 January 2010 13:40
Our nation rolled into 2010 as unhealthy as ever. Currently of 34% of adults in our nation are obese and a significant number of our neighbors are facing heart disease, stroke and diabetes. Health professionals are constantly educating individuals in the classroom, at visits to the clinic or at community events. Unfortunately the messages about everything from eating nutritious food, becoming more physically active or the importance of good dental hygiene do not always lead to the adoption of healthy behaviors and long term compliance.
There is enough health information and educational media available in this nation to expect that most people know that using tobacco is not healthy or that being overweight or obese is bad for your health. Yet dieticians will continue to be frustrated by patients who give their children soda pop for breakfast and fitness professionals will watch their clients lose their motivation and go back to a sedentary lifestyle. Doctors will continue to deal with diabetic patients who fail to check their blood sugar regularly and patients who do not take quitting smoking seriously. Health care professionals can only do so much - at some point individuals must take responsibility for their health.
Lack of personal accountability seems to be a big factor impacting the health of our nation. Few people struggling with health issues want to admit that they had a role in bringing these problems on, but the obesity and diabetes epidemics are proof that individual lifestyle choices have serious consequences on our health. Rather than waiting for someone to come rushing in with a pill to fix what is broken, Americans must begin to take individual responsibility for their health behaviors. If everyone made an effort to make even one positive lifestyle change in time it could prevent or reverse many of the health challenges facing our nation.
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