Would you do something if you knew you could prevent it? Health consciousness and being proactive about your health is beneficial to not only your physical health, but mental health as well. According to the World Health Organization, “health promotion is the process of enabling people to increase control over, and to improve, their health.” Health promotion consists of captivating and empowering individuals and communities to make healthy choices and behaviors to reduce the risks of chronic illnesses.
Simple, but everyday choices like physical activity, eating a healthy diet, getting enough sleep, and controlling intake of alcohol and smoking can decrease the risk of illnesses, like high blood pressure. Uncontrolled blood pressure can raise the risk of heart disease and stroke, which are the two leading causes of mortality in America (CDC, 2020).
Throughout our lifetime, choices are being made that affect our health, whether it is beneficial or detrimental. Those choices ultimately affect our long-term health and help us avert health problems and unnecessary expenses. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveals that “higher levels of well-being are associated with decreased risk of diseases, illness, and injury; better immune functioning; speedier recovery; and increased longevity.” Proactive and health conscious individuals display an increase in productivity at work and community contribution. Overall, it enhances quality of life, reduces preventable death and medical expenses.
