Small steps=Big changes

“DHHS is dedicated to creating a culture of wellness across this Nation by encouraging small steps and better choices.”

The Department of Health and Human Services on October 26, 2006 made this vow, “DHHS is dedicated to creating a culture of wellness across this Nation by encouraging small steps and better Choices.” The press release went on to say that our Nation’s health is strong, due to the promotion of better choices and healthier lifestyle. It emphasized the importance of disease prevention and health promotion, citing the impact that immunizations have had in saving lives.

How strong can the nation’s health be given the rising cost of health-care. How strong can it be when Jane and Joe Public, driven by the quick fix, immediate gratification and the band-aid approach, fall short in making better choices and living a healthier lifestyle.

In somewhat contradictory statements, the HSS press release stated that the health of the nation had improved, then added, “Yet all is not well with our Nation’s health. Obesity is rising among adults and children. Chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes, have become quiet killers. Those diseases, many of which are preventable and manageable, account for an increasing amount of America’s growing health care costs. Creating a culture of wellness would not only reduce suffering, it would increase our Nation’s economic vitality.

Then Secretary Leavitt declared, “we need to become a society that thinks of staying healthy rather than simply being treated after we are sick.” Prevention became one of his priorities. “Promoting health and creating wellness,” what a novel idea. Many are unaware that it was the mid-to-late 70’s when wellness and prevention became the buzzword with the young-set as health education programs sprang up throughout our colleges and universities. Some 30+ years later we’re still attempting to figure out how and if individuals, parents, physicians and drug manufactures will embrace positive living that is synonymous with wellness lifestyle .

HSS provided these background statements in that 2006 press release:

• The greatest advances in America’s health have come from preventive and public health measures. And the opportunity remains vast for further gains through disease prevention and health promotion.

• Over the last century, life expectancy in the U.S. increased by about 30 years. About five of those years were due to improvements in curative medicine and health care. The remaining 25 years were due to improvements in public health and preventive medicine. (NOTE: Only five of those years, no mention as to which five.)

Keeping in mind that these are late 2006 statistics, HSS demonstrated the scope of the problem and opportunities for resolution with these highlights:

• An estimated 90 million Americans are living with a chronic disease. Chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, stroke and diabetes are the leading cause of death and disability in the United States. In addition to limiting activities for 12 million older persons living in communities, chronic conditions currently account for more than 75 percent of the nation’s nearly $2 trillion America spends on health care each year – diabetes alone accounts for $132 billion.

• Perhaps worst of all, our children are growing up with unhealthy lifestyles: The percentage of young people who are overweight has more than tripled since 1980.

• Today, more than a third of young people in grades 9-12 do not regularly engage in vigorous-intensity physical activity. An estimated 61 percent of overweight young people have at least one additional risk factor for heart disease, such as high cholesterol or high blood pressure.

“Despite being the most prevalent and costly, chronic diseases are also among the most preventable of all health problems. Adopting healthy behaviors can prevent or control the devastating effects of these diseases. Following are recommended practices toward better health” (HSS 10.26.06):

• Regular physical activity has countless priceless benefits: It builds strength and aerobic fitness, provides motivation and promotes relaxation. Exercise aids sleep and can reduce the risk of dying of coronary heart disease and decrease the risk for colon cancer, diabetes, and high blood pressure. Despite these proven benefits, more than 50 percent of American adults do not get enough physical activity to provide health benefits and more than a third of young people in grades 9-12 do not regularly engage in vigorous physical activity.

• Eating a healthy diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk products not only makes us feel good, it is vital to reducing our risk for diseases like heart disease, certain cancers, diabetes, and osteoporosis. In fact, dietary changes could reduce cancer deaths in the United States by as much as 35 percent.

• Routine screenings can identify a previously undiagnosed condition or risk of condition. This allows physicians to intervene early with treatments and therapies to control the condition or inform the individual of lifestyle changes that can be taken to improve health outcomes and costs. If everyone aged 50 years or older were screened regularly, as many as 60 percent of deaths from colorectal cancer could be prevented.

• Avoiding risky behaviors such as using tobacco or drugs, or abusing alcohol – even driving without a safety belt – can save lives and improve health. Despite the fact that fewer Americans are using tobacco, each day 3,900 young people try their first cigarette, and smoking remains the number-one preventable cause of death in our country.

In terms of motivation, it seems it’s not enough to think in terms of pain reduction, longevity and the benefits of positive health from one year to the next. It’s not enough to consider out-of-pocket costs for medical treatment for themselves and their children.

Meanwhile, the health industry rakes in the dollars as does magazines and books. Websites touting health benefits are prolific. There’s a market out there tapping the purse-strings of the individual who wants help with diet, help with fitness, help with managing their illness, their time, positive self-esteem and help in lasting motivation and positive change. The search for helpfrequently focused on the quick and easy.

It’s true, the public at large is hungry for information that really will impact their lives, and it’s important to keep statistics such as those of HSS available and near the public eye. It’s important that the information highway remain rich with information. But most important is what and how that individual, that parent will conceptualizes and  internalizes ways they can eek out the time and energy for exercise, to get into the market and to the kitchen table with food choices that increase energy, movement and concentration, improve sleep, family relationships and general feel-good attitudes. It begins with education, information and most importantly, yes, those first and steady “small steps.”
- E.L. Pierce, MS