7.6 Healthy Behavior

Four risk factors associated with lifestyle choices and available options have been identified as the nation's leading causes of preventable disease and premature death: lack of exercise, poor diet, tobacco use, and excessive alcohol use.

• Unhealthy behaviors and lifestyle circumstances account for 40% of premature deaths in this country; 
•  More than 46.5 million American adults continue to smoke; 
• Nearly 14 million adults drink too much alcohol, raising their risk for liver disease, accidents and trauma; 

More than 60% of American adults are overweight or obese and nearly 40% live very sedentary lifestyles, increasing their susceptibility to high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, stroke and heart disease.  

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Active Living Network points out that since World War II, physical activity has been engineered out of many areas of American life.  Today, more than one in four Americans get no activity at all on an average day.  Behavior patterns linked to physical activity and lifestyle—which often correlate with income levels in terms of financially feasible options—represent the single most prominent domain of influence over health prospects in the US.  Daily options and choices with respect to diet, physical activity, substance abuse and addictions, approaches to safety, and coping strategies in confronting stress are all important determinants of health.   According to the New England Healthcare Institute, healthy and unhealthy behaviors may be responsible for 50% of health outcomes, yet only 4% of health care expenditures are devoted to promoting healthy behavior (and addressing environmental health determinants).