Changing behavior is the key to getting healthy
When it comes to improving our health, we all know what to do. Exercise. Eat right. Quit smoking. Drink alcohol only in moderation. And wash our hands.
It sounds simple. So why don’t more of us do it?
Probably because it isn’t so simple. Getting healthy and staying that way often means waging a battle against our genes, our physical and social environments, and a lifetime of bad habits.
For example: Humans are genetically predisposed to be sedentary during adulthood. We favor fatty, calorie-laden foods because that’s where our energy comes from. Our caveman bodies strive to store energy for hunting and scavenging food and to fend off now-extinct predators.
But we live in homes, workplaces and neighborhoods that limit physical activity. We have to go out of our way to break a sweat.
In other words, we inhabit Fred Flintstone bodies in a George Jetson world, so overcoming our natural tendencies takes persistent effort. To ensure good health, some experts say, we need to learn the science of behavior change — that the body part people most need to contend with is not their beer bellies or love handles but their brains.
Dr. James Prochaska, director of the cancer prevention research center at the University of Rhode Island and co-author of the book Changing for Good, says most behavioral changes, such as losing weight and stopping smoking, involve six stages:
■ Pre-contemplation: Denying or failing to recognize the problem.
■ Contemplation: Acknowledging the problem without being ready to change it.
■ Preparation: Getting ready to change.
■ Action: Changing behavior.
■ Maintenance: Not falling off the wagon.
■ Termination: The behavior has been tamed and no longer poses a threat.
When people skip straight to action, they are likely to return to their bad habits before long, Prochaska said. Instead, they should think in terms of advancing from one stage to the next.
“Behavior change equals progress, not immediate action,” he said.
You might be surrounded by bad food choices, said Kristin Gustashaw, clinical dietitian at Rush University Medical Center.
“But if you are ready for change and have developed a plan, you will be able to walk past that food and make the right decisions,” she said.
If you lapse — sneak a smoke or binge on birthday cake — the goal should be to go back to the plan as soon as possible.
“It’s OK to make a mistake,” Gustashaw said. “That’s where most people fall apart; they don’t learn from their mistakes and (they) give up.”
By Deborah L. Shelton – Chicago Tribune
Nov. 09, 2009
