Most of us only go to the doctor a few times a year -- and in between that, we are left alone to figure out how to best follow our doctor's advice in our daily lives. If you have pre-diabetes, most days you're left to manage that condition and try...

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is a historic law and its third birthday should be celebrated.

The law, each day, helps move the country from a 'sick care' system to a real health care system. Some of the lesser known but most important provisions of the ACA focus on...

Public health departments have the unique role and responsibility for improving health in schools, workplaces and neighborhoods. They are charged with identifying top health problems and developing strategies to solve these issues.

Indeed, they are the chief health strategist in communities.

Unfortunately, public health departments at all levels...

There is no doubt that preventing people from becoming sick will improve the quality of life for millions of Americans dramatically. More than one-half of Americans are currently living with one or more serious chronic disease.

Certainly, some preventive care will only provide the benefits of improved...

It's a right as old as the Declaration of Independence.

By birth, every American should have the opportunity to be as healthy as he or she can or wants to be. A government that is truly for the people provides everyone with world-class services that protect and support their...

Much of the rhetoric at this year's International AIDS Conference was about achieving an "AIDS-free generation." This new optimism reflects the tremendous progress that has been made in both the science of HIV and our ability to translate that science into meaningful prevention and treatment programs, but if the United...

On the first anniversary of the historic National Prevention Strategy: America's Plan for Better Health and Wellness, the country should join the National Prevention, Health Promotion and Public Health Council, Advisory Group on Prevention, Health Promotion, and Integrative and Public Health and my organization, Trust for America's Health (TFAH) in...

We can save hundreds of thousands of lives by enacting, enforcing and supporting injury prevention policies and activities. A recent report released by Trust for America's Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) found that many injury prevention activities have been scientifically shown to reduce harm...

While we have made incredible strides in addressing HIV/AIDS over the past 30 years, the disease remains devastatingly prevalent in America, especially among gay and bisexual men. This population accounts for 57 percent of new HIV infections and a gay man who is 18 years old faces a two in...

Chronic diseases -- such as heart disease, cancer, stroke and diabetes -- are responsible for seven out of 10 deaths among Americans each year and account for 75 percent of the nation's health spending. Obesity alone is related to more than 30 illnesses, including type 2 diabetes, heart...

Since September 11 and anthrax, we've released the "Ready or Not? Protecting the Public from Diseases, Disasters and Bioterrorism" in partnership with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Over the past ten years, the report has documented how preparedness had been on an upward trajectory. While there were serious ongoing gaps,...

If people are healthier, they are generally happier.

If people are healthier, they are likely to be more productive.

If people are both happy and productive, the economy will follow suit.

Increasingly, employers are getting this and taking steps to help their employees make the healthy choices while they...

Here's a simple choice: Would you rather potentially develop cancer or take what many experts say is a harmless vaccine that would prevent you from developing certain forms of cancer for the rest of your life?

It's a no-brainer, right?

Well, you'd think so, yet use of the vaccine for...

News about the obesity epidemic seems to be everywhere. Clearly it has become a serious issue for every neighborhood, city, county and state, as it hampers productivity and quality of life. We even have popular television shows focused exclusively on helping people lose weight.

Yet, we haven't seen tangible results...

I want to commemorate the first anniversary of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and a healthier American people.

One year ago, we took the first step toward a true public health system when the federal government committed to helping people take personal responsibility for their own health by making healthy...

Aging can be hard. The aches and pains start to add up -- and a lifetime of calories, cholesterol, and time spent sitting on the couch catches up with us.

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) includes some new measures that can help us be more active and independent as...

Watching shows like "24" or "NCIS," you'd think emergency responders could pinpoint bioterrorism attacks or identify new catastrophic disease outbreaks within moments. The fictional characters have every new-fangled, state-of-the-art piece of equipment and computer they need to magically detect and respond to emerging threats.

In reality, we seriously do not...

For the past eight years, Trust for America's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has released the Ready or Not? report to ascertain how well the nation's public health system is prepared to respond to disease outbreaks, natural disasters, or acts of bioterrorism.

We feel it is incredibly...

We all generally take for granted that the food we eat is safe - or at least won't hurt us. But, you may be surprised to learn that around 76 million Americans - one in four of us - get sick each year from food. Furthermore, around 325,000 get sick...

In the midst of flu season, we, at the Trust for America's Health, want to remind everyone that a flu shot is good for you and those around you...your children, your grandparents, your barista, i.e., everyone you come into contact with.

The flu, including H1N1, is largely preventable with...