Studies reveal that more than 90% of adult Americans have at least some unhealthy Behaviors or unhealthy conditions. The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) used data from 395,343 U.S. adult respondents to the 2013 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) to assess adherence to five healthy behaviors: not smoking cigarettes, meeting the aerobic physical activity recommendation (at least 150 minutes per week of moderate or, 75 minutes per week of vigorous-intensity physical activity), consuming no alcohol or only moderate amounts (up to 2 drinks per day for men, up to 1 drink per day for women), maintaining a normal body mass index (BMI 18.5 to 24.9), and sleeping at least 7 hours per 24-hour period. 20 The study found that only 6.3% of study subjects reported all five
healthy behaviors; 24.3% had four; 35.4% had three; 24.3% had two; 8.4% had one, and 1.4% of respondents engaged in none of the five healthy behaviors.
Most of us could improve our health by changing how we live. So, what is wrong? We are over-stressed, under-exercised, and overfed on a red meat-based, high-saturated fat, high-sugar, high-salt, processed-food diet. Most of us are not sufficiently aware of what our fast-food burgers and fries are doing to our health. Far too many of us have a lifestyle that leads to unhealthy conditions such as high cholesterol, diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity that make it much more likely that we will suffer major illnesses including heart disease, cancer, and stroke, face long periods of disability, and die prematurely.
This blog presents opinions and ideas and is intended to provide helpful general information. I am not engaged in rendering advice or services to the individual reader. The ideas, procedures and suggestions in that are presented are not in any way a substitute for the advice and care of the reader’s own physician or other medical professional based on the reader’s own individual conditions, symptoms or concerns. If the reader needs personal medical, health, dietary, exercise or other assistance or advice the reader should consult a physician and/or other qualified health professionals. The author specifically disclaims all responsibility for any injury, damage or loss that the reader may incur as a direct or indirect consequence of following any directions or suggestions given in the book or participating in any programs described in this blog or in the book, The Building Blocks of Health––How to Optimize Wellness with a Lifestyle Checklist. References for most of the health related information in this blog can be found in the book, The Building Blocks of Health now available on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/Building-Blocks-Health-Lifestyle-Checklist-ebook/dp/B08RC3XRCY/. Copyright 2020 by J. Joseph Speidel.
