Being the Change

Today, I spoke with a television news reporter about the latest release from the Gallop-Healthways Index which connects the influence of work, job stress, and economic worries to emotional and physical wellness :

http://www.well-beingindex.com/newsroom.asp#Press


This study is interesting in that it gives a daily snapshot of several wellness indicators – not just physical – of communities all around the country. Thousands of Americans are interviewed 350 days out of the year about their attitudes and beliefs about their personal well-being.

Once again, West Virginia is ranked last in the nation in terms of how well we are and feel about our lives on any given day.


Like many of the Southern and our neighboring states, West Virginia’s economic health influences our residents’ physical, mental, and emotional health on a daily basis. The low Life Evaluation score indicates that many West Virginians don’t expect to be better off economically in 5 years. They may perceive that they have little control over their work environment or job security and that leads to STRESS. Did you know that most conditions that end up in a visit to a doctor begin because of the way we handle or don’t handle the stress of life?

•  Economic stress can lead to unhealthy ways to deal with stress like overeating or eating the wrong things or smoking, or misuse of drugs and alcohol.

• Those behaviors often lead to chronic health conditions like diabetes,  hypertension, depression, or lung and heart disease –--- which leads to more stress and more economic worries.

• So it becomes a vicious cycle – and it’s a cycle we need to work on changing at every level – in our communities to create stable jobs and infrastructures that support healthy lifestyles --- and in our families to adopt and pass on healthier habits and provide emotional support to one another.

Last winter people came out in large numbers to get the H1N1 vaccine because they were afraid of getting the flu. What if folks were as motivated to make even small changes in their personal daily health habits? We should be just as worried about the effects chronic stress and poor lifestyle habits will have on our lives as we were of getting the flu.



Making an improvement in healthy habits is a great way - maybe the best way - to improve the quality of daily life, deal with stress and gain a sense of control over your future. And every year, I believe more people are making those changes! I look around and see more people planting gardens, providing healthy foods at our farmer’s markets, coaching youth athletics and organizing wholesome activities that are alternatives to aimless “partying.” I see more and more walkers! I see our many community agencies working tirelessly to provide safe, free or low-cost services of all kinds to our residents, including health fairs, parenting classes, Meals on Wheels, day care and counseling. Our state offers free hotlines and counseling for people who need help with the depressive addictions of tobacco, prescription drugs, and gambling.



So I remain optimistic about our community’s resilience and wellness, and you who are following the Lighten Up program are a major reason for my optimism. I am encouraged to know all of you who do want to improve your health- -right now we have 450 enrolled in Davis Health System’s free walking program and more than 200 following this free online weight-loss blog!



You may know the Ghandi quote, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” When you participate in these programs, you are the healthy role models and “real time” wellness leaders of our communities. On the days you struggle to get out in the rain to walk – or choose to drink water instead of a Coke- or count those calories! - know that your healthy choices make a difference that can change our whole community.



So while we wait for the economic climate to improve, I applaud you for taking charge of your health to “change the things you can” and for being the forerunners for change who can influence others! Help  encourage people to seek support and education from our social service agencies, senior centers, local health departments, doctors, Family Resource Networks, wellness-based centers, and faith communities when they need it. At our own Davis Health System we are striving to change he way we deliver medicine to be where you need us with the services you need closer to home- or even in the home. Our local college, Davis & Elkins College, has become invested in promoting community health by opening its indoor track free of charge for walking. Positive steps!



Every step you take – every step we as a community take - toward healthy lifestyle change – will help move West Virginia up the scale of the Well- Being Index! We'll be dealing more in the upcoming weeks with the problem of stress and weight, but for today, thank you for “being the change.”