Chronic Disease in America

I think that a lot more than the health work force needs to be working on this issue. Prevention will come from the public health system on a practical level, but encouragement for people to seek preventative care needs to come from all fronts. I do agree that obesity is a big contributor to this problem and as a society we do need to get past the view of fat and thin as merely an image issue and make people fully aware of how serious and debilitating the related chronic diseases can be. We need to slowly create a more active society. Many jobs themselves require long hours of simply sitting in chairs. The most exercise is walking to a parking space. Employers need to create healthier work environments. People need to have the time to sleep and exercise. No matter how many times a health care professional tells them to do it, they won't if they don't have the time or the energy to. It's a lot easier to motivate a group when they are being taken care of rather than motivate them when they are already at their physical and psychological capacity.