Friday, November 20, 2009
Health education key to prevention
From the RoundTable blog
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George Smith Jr.
Smith, of Shawsville, is a retired family physician.
The national debate on health care reform might be good for our country. In spite of the fact that it has become so politicized, it is causing some of us to examine the status and quality of health care in America.
Several recent articles in this newspaper have pointed out the fact that our health care system is not the best in the world in spite of the exorbitant cost. The system should not be blamed. The basic problem lies with individual Americans who are making unhealthy lifestyle decisions.
When something gives us immediate pleasure and we are not fully cognizant of future consequences, we are likely to make unhealthy choices. Most often we expect a pill or procedure to cure us when we get sick regardless of the choices that we make.
We are a nation of health illiterates and give little thought and have poor knowledge of the long-term consequences of our habits and actions.
A different approach is needed. We must acknowledge the problem and look for ways that will help us make better lifestyle decisions.
Or better, look for ways that will change our environment and make our whole nation more health literate and health conscious.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, most of the health care costs in this country are related to poor lifestyle choices that promote disease.
Assuming that this is a fact, what is the best way to attack the problem? Do any of the proposed health care reform bills significantly address lifestyle reform?
Even if we do enact laws that attempt to get people to live healthy lifestyles, and pay for caregivers to teach and encourage healthy lifestyles, is this the best way to attack the problem? Speaking as a physician with more than 50 years of experience treating sick people and trying to manage disease, it is my opinion that there is a better way.
The best way to improve health is to prevent disease before it begins. The best way to prevent disease is for each individual to make wise lifestyle decisions beginning in early childhood. The best way, and really the only way, for an individual to make wise decisions of any kind is through knowledge -- knowledge of the consequences of the decision based on a good understanding of how one relates to their individual environment.
The most appropriate way for each individual to become health literate is through health education beginning even with preschool children. Here in Virginia, the state board of education has recognized this fact and last year produced the Health Education Standards of Learning for Virginia Public Schools. Anyone with a computer can find these standards on the Internet.
The standards are excellent and are not for a single problem such as obesity, but also address other things such as tobacco use, automobile safety, dental care, conflict resolution, personal behavior, the environment, etc.
Is there anything that we can do that will help our nation more than teaching our children how to become health-literate citizens who will create healthy and happy communities?
I am not aware of any school that has started such a program. I have discussed this with several public school officials, but they are all busy doing their present job and do not have the authority nor the time to undertake such a health education program.
Preventing disease and promoting wellness is not the job of health insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies or medical equipment dealers. We can expect them to lobby us and our representatives to keep the status quo.
The same goes for anyone or any business that profits from the sale of their products regardless of how they affect the health of the users.
The demand for such programs must come from us -- the general public.
