Your waistline, your health: Help community shape up
Two months into the New Year, it’s no surprise that many people are struggling to keep their resolutions to get healthier in 2016.
Let’s face it, making lifestyle changes — things like eating less and exercising more — isn’t easy. If it were, our nation wouldn’t be facing the public health crisis that’s confronting us now.
The truth is, as our waistlines and sedentary habits grow, nearly half of all Americans suffer from at least one chronic disease. Conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, obesity, cancer and stroke take an enormous personal and financial toll on individuals and families.
Experts tell us they also threaten the future of our nation. With obesity and diabetes rising in our young people, we’re raising the first generation of Americans who may live fewer years that their parents. Fiscally, the cost of chronic disease — $347 billion per year and counting — threatens to bankrupt the entire U.S. healthcare system.
Ready for the good news? Chronic disease is largely preventable when people take small, moderate steps to eat healthier and exercise more. And with health-care reform driving change, many of our nation’s brightest minds are working on prevention-based solutions.
One of them is Florida Surgeon General John Armstrong, whose Healthiest Weight initiative is convening communities to help Floridians make healthier choices in “all spaces and places,” including home, work, school, restaurants and more.
Locally, this idea is gaining traction as a diverse group of stakeholders is thinking differently — and working together — to address the challenge of chronic disease.
At the Y, we’re partnering with Dr. Phillips Charities, Orlando Health, Florida Hospital, the Winter Park Health Foundation, Sodexo, United Health Foundation, the West Orange Healthcare District, Novo Nordisk and others to provide personalized health and wellness programs for individuals, families and companies.
Positive change is visible everywhere, from employee walking groups and workplace health screenings to healthier food options in our schools, grocery stores and restaurants. Granted, there’s still a long way to go, but the battle against chronic disease will be won one person, one family, one workplace and neighborhood at a time.
So if you’ve resolved to live healthier in 2016, please keep those resolutions. We’re all in this together. And we’re counting on you.
The battle against chronic disease will be won one person at a time.