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Preventive Health |
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 I
am a strong supporter of health care promotion programs that have the potential
to improve health, improve quality of life, reduce health care costs, and boost
productivity. Unfortunately, a very small percentage of health care
spending is devoted to health promotion. I believe that it is time for America to
increase its investment in health prevention strategies. The national
investment in prevention is currently estimated to be less than 5 percent of
annual health care costs despite strong evidence that prevention can be
cost-effective and helps people enhance the quality of their lives.
It
is a fact that adaptable lifestyle factors such as smoking, sedentary
lifestyle, poor nutrition, unmanaged stress, and obesity account for
approximately half of premature deaths in the United States. Moreover,
spending on chronic diseases related to lifestyle and other preventable
diseases account for an estimated 70 percent of total health care
spending. With the pending retirement of the baby-boom generation, the
financial burden of these preventable diseases will further threaten the
solvency of the Medicare program.
It
is my hope that with a greater focus on prevention, we will be able to greatly
reduce the number of individuals who suffer from all types of ailments
including diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and strokes, just to name a few
areas where preventive health care could make a significant impact.
Press Releases and Statements
October 2, 2007 - Udall Introduces Healthy Workforce Act
June 7, 2007 - Udall Introduces HeLP Act
January 19, 2005 - Address
to the 47th New Mexico State Legislature
Links
*** Questions and Answers about Influenza (the flu) ***
- Preventive Health Information
- Study Finds Obese Children Display Early Signs of Heart
Disease--A study published in the winter issue of the Journal of
Cardiometabolic Syndrome suggests that obese children display early signs of
heart disease similar to those exhibited by obese adults with heart disease,
United Press International reports.
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CDC Study Suggests More Work Needed to Improve Wellness
Policies in U.S. Schools--The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) on Friday released a study suggesting that, although most U.S. schools
have made "considerable improvements" in student wellness policies,
more work remains, Reuters reports.
- Healthy Recipe Substitutions Help Children Consume Fewer Calories, Study Finds--A study presented on Monday at the annual meeting of the
Obesity Society, an organization dedicated to addressing obesity, suggests that
simple recipe and meal substitutions can help reduce children's daily caloric
intake, USA Today reports.
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Critics Suggest Anti-Obesity Ad Campaign is Too Tame--An advertising campaign designed to warn Americans about
the effects of obesity has drawn criticism from several public health groups
that contend that the ads approach their mission too lightly, the Associated
Press reports.
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Report Shows Lack of PE in Most Georgia Schools, Urges
Communities to Promote Physical Activity--A Georgia study on youth fitness released last Friday
indicates that nearly half of the state's children do not get enough physical
activity, a finding that is expected to prompt a greater investment in youth
wellness programs, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
- Indiana Issues Preliminary Plan to Address Obesity--The Indiana State Department of Health last Monday
unveiled a plan to curb obesity among children and adults statewide, the
Indianapolis Star reports.
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New York City Running Program Boosts Fitness Among
Students--Roughly 20,000 New York City children are participating
in Mighty Milers, a program developed by the New York Road Runners Foundation
to reinforce the importance of active lifestyles, the Associated Press reports.
- General Resources
- New Mexico Resources
- Prevention
and Wellness
- Eat Right
- Stay Fit
- Quit Smoking
- Vaccinations
- Diseases
- Physical
Activity
- Nutrition
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