Lifestyle is the content of daily life. The most important outcome of lifestyle is health status. The best health status possible is a blessing but it must be earned everyday throughout life by each person and the community.
There are many reasons for failing to understand the significant differences between health and sickness or between health care and medical care. The greatest failing is insufficient thought by each person about health in the absence of sickness. Most people don’t think about health and sickness until a problem arises. Sickness is an emotionally charged situation when thinking is difficult. Even the most careful and rational of thinkers can be overwhelmed by sickness. Almost everyone expects medical care to cure illness, disease and disability. When this is a mind-set that dominates thinking about health, it increases the amount and intensity of medical care, reduces thought about healthy lifestyle and negatively influences health status.
Medical care is not everything in health; it is not most of health or the first thing in health; it is the last thing when health fails; it is the response to illness, disease, injury and disability. America expects more, but must learn to achieve it. Relief from illness, disease, injury and disability is possible but cures are less likely than prevention.