Responsible and Balanced Decision Making in Healthy Living

Realizing that the path to healthy living is not black and white – there’s no diet or exercise plan that will work for everyone, just as there’s no one cause for the obesity epidemic – is the start of a more meaningful, responsible, and lasting approach to how we think about, value, and sustain health.

It seems that every day there is a new study, headline and advice about issues ranging from disease prevention, the optimum nutritional plan, or the correct fitness technique. While it’s not always clear which of the information to believe, what is clear is that health issues are rarely black and white; they are complex in cause, severity and solution. Therefore, responsible choices about health require trade-offs, measured decision-making, and a realization that there are multiple sides to every story.

Take, for example, obesity: we as Americans are confronted with near-daily coverage in the media. A recent CDC report states that 2.4 more million Americans became obese in the past two years alone. This shocking revelation belies the enormous health issue that obesity has become as well as the need for a sustainable solution. Yet it also begs the question of how this is possible? Is there a reasonable explanation? How have longer commute times and working hours, increasing unemployment and financial concerns, and changing lifestyle values affected obesity? By not rushing to conclusions and by recognizing that obesity is caused by very complex situational and biological factors, a more holistic, effective set of solutions is likely to be pursued.

The same is true with personal health decision-making. Approaches to personal health choices that don’t take into account the trade-offs, of either action or inaction, are less likely to be sustainable and positive in the long run. For some, the sacrifice of going to the gym every morning or eating only natural food to be healthy may be too much of a commitment for their lifestyle, preferences, or even their happiness. The fact is, there are other ways to make healthy choices, and it is up to each individual to investigate and decide what works best for them.

Individual responsibility and action is critical in creating personal solutions. While obesity reports and headlines about health do a lot to bring attention to serious issues, the causes and solutions for health concerns boil down to the individual. The more individuals can customize their decisions based on their own values, the more choices businesses, brands, NGO’s, and government will offer in recognition that a one-size-fits-all approach to health is not valid.

Aligning your brand with a strong social purpose tied to your brand values is a compelling position to leverage for your business health. Call Healthy Living Marketing at (301) 378-0384 as we are ready to help you with this process.

Tags: health, healthy living, obesity, obesity epidemic, personal responsibility, sustainability