Healthy Lifestyle Choices
Choose well, live well!
Note:
The following information is adapted from the Healthier US initiative. For more information, please visit the HealthierUS.gov website.
Click Here to access this website.
for helpful resource links!
One of the most important things individuals and families can do to promote good health is to make smart choices. Avoiding risky behaviors such as using tobacco or drugs, or abusing alcohol - even driving without a safety belt - can save lives and improve health. Behavioral changes reduce the chance of illness or injury; even washing one's hands regularly prevents the spread of many common illnesses and infections.
Misuse and abuse of alcohol continue to be a problem in this country. Alcoholic beverages supply calories but few nutrients and are harmful when consumed in excess. People who should not drink at all include children, adolescents, pregnant women, and individuals who cannot restrict their drinking to moderate levels. Having more than one drink per day for women or more than two drinks per day for men can raise the risk of high blood pressure, stroke, and some forms of cancer. American adults who drink should use alcohol responsibly in all social and recreational settings. The effects of alcohol abuse can be devastating, from adverse health consequences, to domestic abuse, to drinking and driving.
Tobacco use is the single most preventable cause of death and disease in the United States, causing more than 440,000 premature deaths annually during 1995-1999. Smoking can cause chronic lung disease, coronary heart disease, and stroke. Smoking has also been linked to cancer of the lungs, larynx, esophagus, mouth, and bladder. In addition, smoking contributes to cancer of the cervix, pancreas, and kidneys. Smokeless tobacco and cigars also have deadly consequences, including lung, larynx, esophageal, and mouth cancer. Aggressive and sustained anti-smoking programs prevent and reduce smoking and many states have successful efforts underway.
Regular marijuana use may also cause many of the same respiratory problems as regular tobacco use. Some of the respiratory problems associated with marijuana use include daily cough and phlegm, symptoms of chronic bronchitis, and more frequent chest colds. Continuing to smoke marijuana can lead to abnormal functioning of lung tissue. Research shows that marijuana harms the brain, heart, lungs, and immune system and limits learning, memory perception, judgement, and the ability to drive an automobile. Any illegal drug possession or use should not be tolerated. More parents need to learn about the power of preventing youth drug abuse.
Other simple behavioral changes save lives as well. For example, handwashing has been show to be a fundamental factor in preventing the spread of infections. One study of school children found that those who washed their hands four times a day had fewer sick days due to respiratory illness and fewer days lost because of stomach upset.
Thousands of people needlessly die in traffic accidents yearly because they do not use safety belts. Seat belts are the most effective means of reducing fatalities and serious injuries in a traffic accident. In fact, seat belts save over 10,000 lives in America every year. Appropriate bicycle safety measures could also reduce the 690 fatalities and 51,000 traffic-related injuries that occur every year. Bike helmets reduce head injury risk by 85 percent. These are smart choices Americans can make that prevent injuries and death.
Tobacco Use
Safety
Adolescents
Healthy Eating
Eat Well, Be Well - eat at least five fruits and vegetables every day!
Note:
The following information is adapted from the Healthier US initiative. For more information, please visit the HealthierUS.gov website.
Click Here to access this website.
for helpful resource links!
Eating right is vital to promoting health and reducing the risk for death or disability due to chronic diseases such as heart disease, certain cancers, diabetes, stroke, and osteoporosis. In fact, it has been estimated that dietary changes could reduce cancer deaths in the United States by as much as 35 percent.
Nevertheless, a large gap remains between recommended dietary patterns and what Americans actually eat. Very few Americans meet the majority of recommendations of the Food Guide Pyramid or the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Only 3 percent of all individuals meet four of the five recommendations for the intake of grains, fruits, vegetables, milk products, and meat and bean food groups. Only one-fourth of U.S. adults eat the recommended servings of fruits and vegetables each day. Unfortunately, poor eating habits are usually established during childhood. And more than 60 percent of young people eat too much fat, and less than 20 percent eat the recommended servings of fruits and vegetables.
The Food Guide Pyramid is an outline of what to eat each day, and it calls for a variety of food and nutrients. Fruits and vegetables provide essential vitamins and minerals, fiber, and other substances that are associated with good health. Low fat diets rich in fiber-containing grain products, fruits, and vegetables may reduce the risk of heart disease and some types of cancer. Milk products provide protein, vitamins and minerals and are the best source of calcium. However, fats, oils, and sweets provide calories and little else, and should be used sparingly. Drinking enough water is also essential to keeping hydrated, converting food into energy, carrying nutrients through the body, and removing waste.
Nutrition
Physical Activity
Get Active, Your Way, Everyday - for Life!
Note:
The following information is adapted from the Healthier US initiative. For more information, please visit the HealthierUS.gov website.
Click Here to access this website.
for helpful resource links!
Fitness problems such as obesity and overweight have reached truly epidemic proportions in the United States. In the last 10 years, obesity rates have increased by more than 60 percent among adults. In 1999, 61 percent of the adult population was either overweight or obese. The obesity epidemic impacts other diseases as well. For example, the incidence of type 2 diabetes, a major consequence of obesity, is on the rise. Among U.S. adults, diagnosed diabetes increased 49 percent from 1990 to 2000.
The rate of increase in overweight among young people has been even steeper. This is particularly troubling since many of the behaviors that lead to adult obesity are established during childhood. Just 10 years ago, type 2 diabetes was virtually unknown in children and adolescents. Indeed, the medical community commonly referred to the condition as "adult onset diabetes." Today, it accounts for almost 50 percent of new cases of pediatric diabetes in some communities. Medical complications associated with obesity in children can lead to hospitalizations for type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, and asthma. Since 1980, the percentage of children who are overweight has nearly doubled, and the percentage of adolescents who are overweight has nearly tripled. Almost 9 million young Americans, or about 15 percent of all children, are overweight.
Americans young and old should incorporate regular physical activity into their everyday lives. This does not necessarily mean joining an expensive gym or committing to a rigorous exercise or training routine. It is sufficient to choose activities that fit into your daily routine that speed your heart rate and breathing, or increase your strength and flexibility. Examples include walking to work, gardening, taking extra stairs, or mowing the lawn with a push mower. Besides building strength and aerobic fitness, regular exercise relieves stress, provides motivation, promotes relaxation, and facilitates sleep. Such activity reduces the risk of dying of coronary heart disease and decreases the risk for colon cancer, diabetes, and high blood pressure.
Regular physical activity is important throughout life. Healthy lifestyles are more influential than genetic factors in avoiding deterioration traditionally associated with aging. The growing number of older Americans places increasing demands on the public health system and on medical and social services. Currently, almost one-third of total U.S. health care expenditures are for older adults. These expenditures are largely due to treatment and care of chronic diseases, and the cost associated with many of these conditions could be reduced through regular physical activity.
For children, almost any physical activity is sufficient as long as they are moving. Playing actively or participating in athletic or physical fitness activities during school, running, biking, jumping rope, and dancing- instead of watching television or playing video games- all provide children with the kinds of activity they need.
Physical Activity
Nutrition and Physical Activity
Diabetes
Blood Pressure
Obesity
Preventive Screenings
Regular health checkups are a must!
Note:
The following information is adapted from the Healthier US initiative. For more information, please visit the HealthierUS.gov website.
Click Here to access this website.
for helpful resource links!
Preventive screenings and tests save lives. Unfortunately, many Americans do not routinely follow some basic health screening recommendations. 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.
For example, screening for high blood pressure and high blood cholesterol is an important first step in identifying individuals who are at risk for chronic diseases but may be undiagnosed. Screening and appropriate follow-up for high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol can also save the lives of those at risk for heart disease. Early detection and treatment for diabetes can improve health, and the CDC recommends health professionals screen high-risk patients periodically, even when those individuals are visiting their doctor for another reason. Such opportunistic screenings can alert a health professional to troubling results requiring follow-up care.
Many studies have shown that dietary changes and therapies can dramatically reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, especially when these modifications reduce high blood pressure and high blood cholesterol. When coupled with lifestyle changes, these therapies can be even more effective in lowering the risk of a heart attack or stroke. About 90 percent of all adults now have their blood pressure measured at least once every two years. In 1998, only 67 percent of adults had had their blood cholesterol checked within the preceding five years. Of the estimated 17 million people with diabetes in the country, about 5.9 million are undiagnosed. Without effective diagnosis and treatment, diabetes becomes a leading cause of blindness, kidney failure, heart disease, and stroke.
There are additional simple, preventive measures many Americans can take to reduce bad health outcomes. Pneumonia and influenza are responsible for more than 30,000 deaths among older adults each year. Immunization can substantially reduce the severity, risk of hospitalization, and risk of death from these diseases.
Screenings
Blood Pressure
Cholesterol
Obesity