Change or Die? Most Choose Death
Change or die? Fast Company magazine cites scientifically studied odds of nine to one that you’ll choose death.
The vast majority of the U.S. health care budget still goes toward people with diseases resulting from how they choose to live their lives. The five obvious behavioral issues are too much smoking, drinking, eating, and stress, and not enough exercise.
But not even severe heart disease can motivate most people. "If you look at people after coronary-artery bypass grafting two years later, 90% of them have not changed their lifestyle," says Dr. Edward Miller, the dean of the medical school and CEO of the hospital at Johns Hopkins University.
"Providing health information is important but not always sufficient," says Dr. Dean Ornish, founder of the Preventative Medicine Research Institute in Sausalito, California. "We also need to bring in the psychological, emotional, and spiritual dimensions that are so often ignored."
Ornish believes many live the way they do as a day-to-day strategy for coping with their emotional troubles. "Telling people who are lonely and depressed that they're going to live longer if they quit smoking or change their diet and lifestyle is not that motivating," Ornish says. "Who wants to live longer when you're in chronic emotional pain?"
Instead of trying to motivate them with the "fear of dying," Ornish inspires a new vision of the "joy of living" -- convincing them they can feel better, not just live longer. "Joy is a more powerful motivator than fear."
The vast majority of the U.S. health care budget still goes toward people with diseases resulting from how they choose to live their lives. The five obvious behavioral issues are too much smoking, drinking, eating, and stress, and not enough exercise.
But not even severe heart disease can motivate most people. "If you look at people after coronary-artery bypass grafting two years later, 90% of them have not changed their lifestyle," says Dr. Edward Miller, the dean of the medical school and CEO of the hospital at Johns Hopkins University.
"Providing health information is important but not always sufficient," says Dr. Dean Ornish, founder of the Preventative Medicine Research Institute in Sausalito, California. "We also need to bring in the psychological, emotional, and spiritual dimensions that are so often ignored."
Ornish believes many live the way they do as a day-to-day strategy for coping with their emotional troubles. "Telling people who are lonely and depressed that they're going to live longer if they quit smoking or change their diet and lifestyle is not that motivating," Ornish says. "Who wants to live longer when you're in chronic emotional pain?"
Instead of trying to motivate them with the "fear of dying," Ornish inspires a new vision of the "joy of living" -- convincing them they can feel better, not just live longer. "Joy is a more powerful motivator than fear."
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