An Invitation to Health Your Invitation to Healthy Change Chapter 1: Your Invitation to Healthy Change

Health and Wellness Health Wellness Sound in body, mind, and spirit. Not merely the absence of disease or infirmity, but a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being. Wellness Purposeful, enjoyable living. A deliberate lifestyle choice characterized by personal responsibility and optimal enhancement of physical, mental, and spiritual health.

The Wellness-Illness Continuum

The Dimensions of Health: Physical Health Positive steps away from illness and toward well-being: Nutritious diet Regular exercise Avoidance of harmful behaviors and substances Monitor early signs of illness Accident protection

The Dimensions of Health: Psychological Health Emotional and mental states—our feelings and our thoughts.

The Dimensions of Health: Spiritual Health Sense of connectedness to a greater power. Identify one’s basic purpose in life. Learn how to experience love, joy, peace, and fulfillment. Help ourselves and others achieve full potential.

The Dimensions of Health: Social Health Ability to interact effectively with other people and the social environment. Ability to develop satisfying interpersonal relationships. Ability to fulfill social roles.

The Dimensions of Health: Intellectual Health Ability to think and learn from life experiences. Openness to ideas. Capacity to question and evaluate information.

The Dimensions of Health: Environmental Health Impact your world has on your well-being.

Healthy People 2010 The federal government identifies the most significant preventable threats to health and creates leading indicators that assess the health of Americans. Healthy People 2010 is the prevention agenda for the nation. 1st Goal To help individuals of all ages increase life expectancy and improve their quality of life. 2nd Goal To eliminate health disparities among different segments of the population.

Is Race a Factor in Health? Yes—some races have higher rates of: Cancer Cardiovascular disease Diabetes Infant mortality Mental health Infectious disease HIV and other STIs

What Can I Do to Improve My Health If My Racial Background Puts Me at Risk? Know about your family’s medical history–this is the single greatest risk factor for disease. Ask about risks for any medical conditions or disorders based on your family history, racial, or ethnic background. Find out if there are tests that could determine your risks. Find steps you can take that may lower your vulnerability to disease. Bring someone else with you for support and to help you remember what you learn.

Staying Healthy on Campus Prevention Identify health risks. Reduce stressors. Prevent potential medical problems. Enhance well-being. Protection Avoid risky behavior. Prevent injury and unwanted risks. Understand Risky Behaviors Become An Informed Consumer

Making Quality Health-Care Decisions Improving Your Health Literacy Understand health information and use it to make good decisions about health and medical care. Finding Good Advice Online Check the creator and references. Consider the author. Look for possible bias. Getting Medical Facts Straight Making Sense of Medical Research Evidence-Based Medicine

The Stages of Change and Some Change Processes

What are The Stages of Change? Pre-contemplation No intentions of making a change in the next six months. Change remains hypothetical, distant, and vague.

What are The Stages of Change? Contemplation Aware they have a problem behavior and consider changing within the next six months. Understand that change is necessary, but there is a lack of commitment.

What are The Stages of Change? Preparation Intend to change a problem behavior within the next months. Gather information and supplies for change.

What are The Stages of Change? Action Modifying their behavior according to their plan.

What are The Stages of Change? Maintenance Continued to work at changing behavior and have avoided relapse for at least six months.

What are The Stages of Change? Termination After two to five years behavior can become so deeply ingrained that a person cannot imagine abandoning it.

Making Change Happen Choosing a Change Get Real How close are you to making a choice? What is your usual approach to choosing? Evaluate past decisions. Get Ready Assess your greatest change need. Get Going Lock It In

Making Healthy Changes Use seat belts. Eat an extra fruit or vegetable every day. Get enough sleep. Take regular stress breaks. Lose a pound. If you’re a woman, examine your breasts regularly. If you’re a man, examine your testicles regularly. Get physical. Drink more water. Do a good deed.