Healthy People: What Lies Ahead? By Wendi Williams, Editor & Extension Communications Specialist

The month of January ushers in a season of renewed commitments, and like many of you, I have observed how wellness has become more commercialized with the introduction of interactive electronic games and the onslaught of infomercials about fitness equipment, weight loss programs, or pharmaceutical drugs for almost any ailment imaginable. Now that a new year has arrived, I was curious about how our fair government was doing in regard to shaping the nation's health and reducing health disparities that often plague Extension audiences.

In 1979, the United States Department of Health and Human Services launched the Healthy People initiative. Healthy People outlines a set of objectives issued every 10 years with the intent of improving the overall health of American citizens. Benchmarks further help to evaluate the effectiveness of these objectives as a way to ensure a healthier nation of people.

As a new decade begins, so does Healthy People 2020 (HP2020) that strives to build upon the progress our nation has made in improving America's health over a 30-year span. In addition to previous Healthy People objectives such as reducing premature deaths and eliminating health disparities, HP2020 will help Americans to adopt healthier lifestyles across every stage of their lives, and to create and promote physical and social environments, particularly among our youth. The teams that developed HP2020 included representation from such agencies as the Department of Education, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Justice, the Veteran's Administration, and feedback from a panel designed to offer objectives for youth and young adults age 10-24. The overarching vision of HP2020 is to help all Americans live a healthy, long, and productive life!

As I get out my crystal ball and look into the future to Healthy People 2030, I predict that living healthy will become second nature in every area of our lives. For more information, please visit Healthy People 2020.

Healthy Teen Network. (n.d.). Healthy people 2020 and adolescent health: A primer. Retrieved January 11, 2010.

United States Department of Health and Human Services. (2009). Proposed Healthy People 2020 Objectives-Draft for Public Comment. Retrieved January 11, 2010.

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