No doubt about it, healthy well-being is a challenging thing to achieve. We all know what we need to do: eat right, exercise regularly and de-stress, just to name a few. Yet some mysterious force somehow derails the best of our intentions. At a recent TEDMED meeting of some of the most qualified health and medicine minds, a series of population health challenges were identified for the 21st century. They reflect the very same health challenges we face as individuals every day. Among the top 10 challenges highlighted are: instituting wellness programs for the general public, addressing the obesity crisis and making prevention programs popular.
One might argue that we already have wellness programs available and that healthier lifestyles that include regular exercise and healthy eating habits are more popular than ever. So why is it that we have an obesity crisis? It’s no secret that nearly 20% of North Americans, or one in five individuals, are obese and that 97% of American adults (Canadians are not that much different) get less than 30 minutes of physical activity per day.
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