Issue 5.10
In the year 2000, the government, under a program titled, “Healthy People”, set some health goals for the nation to reach by the year 2010. The results were a mixture of both positive and negative. For one, there are more obese Americans than a decade ago, not less. Our eating habits have us eating more salt and fats. And more of our children have untreated tooth decay. (16% in 2000, the latest is about 20%).
Some other disturbing statistics: An estimated 28% of adults had high blood pressure in 2000. The goal was to reduce that to 16%. But the most recent data suggests the proportion has risen to 29%. The proportion of cesarean section births has increased despite a 2010 goal of lowering them. Also the percentage of small, fragile infants born has risen.
But, the “good news” is– the nation as a whole did make progress in other areas. Vaccinations have improved. Workplace injuries are down, smoking laws have been initiated, and death rates from cancer, stroke and heart disease are all dropping.
The “Healthy People” project was first designed with the goal for getting Americans to live longer, healthier lives. It also had hoped to inform the public that many health problems are preventable. In 1990, 41% of the goals were achieved. For the 2000 goals, it was just 24%. A Healthy People goal for 2010 called for the percentage of obese adults to drop to 15%. That goal was set when nearly a quarter of all adults were obese. Now, about 34% of adults are obese, according to the latest federal statistics.
But, to many health officials, simply making some progress is a victory. Out of 635 of the nearly 1,000 target goals of the past decade, only 117 have been met. But progress was also made on another 332. So, in other words, there was improvement in 70% of the measures. “That’s evidence of a healthier nation”, says Dr. Howard Koh, the federal health official who oversees the Healthy People Project. As always, statistics are what you make of them.
So—how is YOUR health this year and what will YOU be doing to keep yourself a part of the “good news”?
Care To Stay Home is a state licensed non-medical home care giving business, whose goal it is to keep people in their homes, as they age.