41.9% of America’s population was overweight in 2020, and 9.2% were severely obese. Junk food, unhealthy eating habits, and lack of exercise (sedentary lifestyles), all contribute to this statistic.
Medical school students are pushing for classes and curriculum centered around nutrition and exercise, as well as building relationships, hoping to reduce this high number. Colleges such as Harvard and Stanford are incorporating these lifestyle courses into medical school training in an effort to reduce chronic illnesses. 6 in 10 adults in the US have a chronic disease. This statistic is crazy, and just proves even more that we need to do something about things that can cause chronic diseases (overeating, lack of exercise, etc). Some examples of chronic diseases that currently impact lots of Americans today are heart disease, diabetes, and strokes. These are all often preventable through healthy lifestyles and healthy habits.
These programs installed into medical schools could not only teach medical school students how to manage their health, but this new knowledge they are gaining could be taught to younger generations for prevention of chronic illnesses and current patients to help them get better and maybe recover from their chronic illnesses (as seen in some cases of diabetics).
Out of My Mind 