New numbers just in on healthy living and eating bring some welcome news... Americans are living 12 months longer than just 10 years ago. American life expectancy went from 76.8 to 77.8 years according to new numbers.
So why are we living longer?
Fewer people are dying from cancers like breast, colon and prostate, heart disease and conditions like HIV. This is great news out of the HealthyPeople 2010 report. The program, which started back in 1980, sets challenging, measurable goals to boost the health of everyone. The 2010 incarnation aimed to increase our life span, how well we live as well as removing the disparities in health care.
The report is based on 733 health indicators, each that had a very ambitious quantifiable target. Data was collected during the 1990s and early 2000s, and then compared to recent information - 23% of the targets set back in November 2000 for HealthyPeople 2010 were met, 48% showed improvement.
That's leaves just 24% of the indicators moving in the wrong direction - away from the goal. Diabetes and other problems associated with obesity still clearly need to be addressed. Solving the obesity issue will help people make strides in a huge number of health problems.
While HealthyPeople 2010 didn't make impressive gains in lowering rates of obesity, diabetes, lack of exercise and disparities in health care, experts do find some good news in the latest numbers.
Prevention was another bright spot of the findings; the numbers of adults over 50 who'd been screened for colon cancer went from just 35% in 1998 to 55% in 2008 - beating the goal that had been set. Full immunizations for children aged 19 to 35 months old went from 73% in 1998 to 78% in 2008 - close to the target of 80%.
At least we're talking about the issue, where ten years ago, it wasn't part of the dialog.
Today Michelle Obama, America's first lady, has taken hold of the issue and has us talking about obesity in both adults and children. This, the experts believe, is the start of real change. Part of the first lady's plan is known as the Let's Move campaign, aimed at bringing down childhood obesity by getting kids to exercise and make good food choices.
Already the numbers show that obesity numbers in many populations are leveling off. Progress is sure to come next.
What we eat is only part of the story...
Exercise (or more properly lack of it) is also a significant contributor to the problem. Add to this that healthy foods are more expensive, less well advertised and often harder to come by. This sets people up to make unhealthy food choices. Naturally experts are calling for government and others to do all they can to make it easier for people to select healthy choices.
Moving forward to HealthyPeople 2020, the access in health care for minorities will be addressed by a law passed in 2010 that's already helped with coverage for young adults under 25 who are now able to stay on their parents insurance plans. There's progress in insurance coverage, and reforms are in the air that encourage healthy living and eating habits.
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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kirsten_Whittaker
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