The Power of Prevention: Keeping Yourself Healthy for a Long, Happy Life

There is nothing more precious than our good health and well-being, and yet, we often take it for granted. The fact that we wake up and are able to get out of bed and move forward with a daily grinding schedule is a luxury most people take very lightly. And for that reason, most of us are completely unprepared and shocked when conquered with a significant illness or physical disability. Too often, health care professionals forget the most important role of medicine – not to get you well, but to keep you well. The fact is, we take better care of our cars, our computers and our pets than we do of ourselves. “Seeing a doctor on a routine basis to maintain my wellness,” you ask? It seems like such a foreign concept, but it is the best thing one can do for oneself and one’s family.

Forty percent of deaths each year are preventable. They are due to obesity, smoking, poor nutrition and lack of exercise. Here are some more startling facts: a whopping 50 percent of us never go for screenings that are needed and recommended as we get older. As a result, the United States has the highest number of deaths caused by stroke, pneumonia and diabetes. We could be doing better. Honestly, We NEED to do better.

The good news is that there is hope for a healthier future. How? By redefining a doctor’s role. Doctors should be used not to GET you well, but to KEEP you well. It’s time to put prevention first.

What do you currently do to maintain or improve your health?

As I hit “send” to publish this blog post, I’d like to ask Patch readers to give me feedback on what topics you’re interested in hearing about or learning about. After all, as a physician who has made it my life’s work to put prevention first, if I’m not giving you information to help you improve your health, then I’m not doing my job.

Here’s to your health –

Dr. Marc

www.215prevent.com