When you graduate from Carrington College in the coming weeks or months and start your career in the health care industry, you’ll soon discover (if you haven’t already) that as a nation, we really are ‘sicker’ than ever. Chronic conditions such as obesity, heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes are costing us billions of dollars. When you add in supplementary issues like anxiety and depression that are often linked to these chronic conditions, you can see why the industry continues to need skilled professionals like you. According to the CDC, chronic diseases cause 7 in 10 deaths each year in the United States, and about 133 million Americans – nearly 1 in 2 adults – live with at least one chronic illness. More than 75% of health care costs in this country are caused by these conditions, and around 25% of people living with a chronic illness experience significant limitations in their daily activities.* Although chronic diseases are more common among older adults, this isn’t just an ‘aging’ problem; the percentage of U.S. children and adolescents with a chronic condition increased from 1.8% in the 1960s to over 7% in 2004.* This is a major issue for our country; the real shame is that so much of it is preventable. Growing evidence indicates that a comprehensive approach to prevention can save us a huge amount of money, and prevent a lot of needless pain and suffering. There are four common factors that cause much of the illness, disability, and premature death related to chronic diseases. Tobacco use, lack of exercise, poor diet, and excessive alcohol consumption are all health-damaging behaviors that can be changed. If you’re planning on joining a profession such as practical nursing, respiratory care, or medical assisting you may find yourself in a position to directly help people to enjoy healthier lifestyles. But even if you’re not planning on entering a direct patient-care career, share these thoughts with your friends and family. You may just inspire a positive change of lifestyle.
- Eating well is living well.
- Exercise as if your life depends on it…
- Make ‘living life’ the only stimulant you need.
- Prevention is always preferable to pills.
- Get drunk on life not liquor.
- Unplug to recharge.
- Stress – You can’t beat it, but you can learn to manage it.
- Get out and smell the roses. Enjoy the great outdoors.
- Healthy relationships are good. Toxic relationships are poison.
*CDC (Center For Disease Control) figures. For comprehensive consumer information on our programs, please visit carrington.edu Program availability varies by location.
